Digimon Heroes
by twilight wolf writer
Summary: There’s a new group of digidestined out to save both the human and digital worlds. Please R & R, any constructive criticism is welcomed.
1. Ch 1 Introductions

_We do not own any of the rights to the Digimon franchise. This story is mostly for fun and to pass the time between classes._

_**CH. 1Introductions**_

The morning sun had not quiet risen yet. There was a cool breeze blowing as the sun's rays began to shine through the trees. The trees were already starting to show the first signs of autumn approaching, as their leaves were now turning from bright green to faded shades of orange. Deep sapphire blue glinted in the distance; the lake had prompted the given name of the nearby high school, Lakeview High. Two figures walked out from a well-hidden place. Both wore glasses, jeans, and t-shirts, but there the similarities ended. The taller one was male, with black hair and a cautious expression on his face; the shorter, female, had mid-length light brown hair and more of a nervous expression than one of caution. They were looking behind them for something that could not be seen. The path was well hidden amongst the foliage of the trees. The two had finally reached their destination at the end of the path. They stood before their impressive school. The faint sound of other students and faculty could be heard as the two approached the school.

"Think they'll stay put in the forest? This is kind of the first time we left them alone at the lake." said female figure.

"They should be. We can't bring them here with us. I don't think that the human world is ready for the whole, 'there's another world beyond our world' concept" answered the male figure.

"I guess it'll have to do for now until we can think of something better. I've got to head to class already Albert." said the female figure adjusting her back pack over her shoulder.

"Ok, I've got band class first thing every morning so I have to get there and set up my instrument before the band director gets there. He's got a bit of a temper if we're even one second late. See you at lunch, Winona?" said Albert, checking for her answer before waving his hand goodbye. He began to walk towards a building separate from the school's main building.

"Yup, see you then." replied Winona, heading for the main building of the campus.

Cody slouched into his chair at the back of the class room as he heard his teacher lecture the class on the circulatory system. The whole premise of this class was to train and introduce students to the medical field. He scanned over the room to see if anybody was actually listening to his teacher speaking. It wasn't too hard to see which people in the class could actually understand what was going on and which students were totally lost in the lecture. Two students, Albert and Michelle, were noticed highly above the rest. Cody had learned who the two were this year but never actually talked to either of them. Albert had been nicknamed the class doctor on first day of school and Michelle was probably the fastest medic in the class.

Cody didn't really know why he had chosen to be in this class. If the long and boring lecture didn't put you to sleep, the trips to the hospital to train in performing actual medical procedures would. Cody considered himself as a jock more than anything else, not a geek who could understand the different medicines and their purposes. This was made obvious by his attire; he wore the school's baseball shirt with a pair of jeans. His curly black hair and facial hair made him look a bit older than what he actually was.

"Ok then, everybody understand the lecture? We will be having a test on the heart and all its parts at the end of the week." said the teacher turning to face the students. There were several moans from the class upon hearing the news of a test. The bell rang in a loud, obnoxious tone and the students began to pack up their things.

"Well, I'll see you all tomorrow for class" said their teacher as she left the room. The other students were doing the same. As Cody began to gather his things and place them in his back pack, he noticed something at the bottom of his bag. It was a strange looking handheld device that was colored white with red grips. He still didn't know how he had gotten the thing. One minute he's just typing on his computer, and the next minute this thing shoots out from the screen into his hand, along with an odd-looking, speaking, creature climbing out of the screen.

Cody held the device in his hand as he began to throw his backpack over his shoulder. As he left the classroom, someone ran right into him, causing him to drop the odd looking device.

"I'm so sorry man. I wasn't looking at where I was going" said a male voice as he heard the other scrambling to pick up several papers.

"It's alright man. Your name's Albert right?" asked Cody, bending down and helping Albert pick up the papers.

"Huh, a jock actually knows my name. I should be honored," laughed Albert as he placed a few of the papers in his backpack.

"Naw man, I know who you are. You're the one whose gonna give me a job with you when you become a doctor right?" smiled Cody handing the last of the papers to Albert.

"Let's see if we can survive this class first" laughed Albert as Cody picked up his device. Or so he thought it was, until he realized that the device was no longer red but solid white. He looked over at Albert, who held his red-and-white device in his hands. Albert curiously looked over the device before looking up a Cody.

"It this yours?" Albert questioned, holding out the object.

"Yeah, is this one yours?" replied Cody, doing the same as Albert. The two of them switched devices.

"Let me guess you're typing on a computer when suddenly…" started Cody…

"…an object comes flying out of the screen into your hand, followed by some odd talking creature saying that it has been searching for you." finished Albert.

Albert glanced down at his watch and was startled by the time.

"I wish I could talk more but I have to get to class. Me and a few other people who have gotten these things are going to meet after school at around 5:30 or so by the band hall. Meet us there and we can hammer the situation out." said Albert, heading for the door. He took off before Cody could even reply to what Albert had said. He looked over the device one more time before putting the object back into his back pack.

"I wonder if Albert and his group know about TJ?" muttered Cody to himself as he continued to his lunch period.


	2. Ch 2 All Together

_**Ch. 2 All Together**_

Winona sat at the lunch table quietly reading over her book amongst the chaos of the lunch room. Albert arrived looking excited as he took a seat next to Winona, placing his tray onto the table.

"Winona, guess what? I found someone else with a Digivice just like ours." He paused when she didn't respond. "Are you even listening to me?" glared Albert while Winona poked her head out from behind her book.

"What?" said Winona with an apologetic look on her face.

Albert just rolled his eyes "I found somebody else with a Digivice. He's in my medical technologies class, his name's Cody."

"Really? Wow, I guess we aren't the only ones who have Digivices then. Oh yeah, I found somebody else with one." said Winona putting her book down onto the table.

"Oh yeah, who?" asked Albert while he took a bite out of his food.

"Yeah, it's Brandi. I spotted her in the hall between second and third period. I asked her where she got it. Brandi told me that it had kinda appeared. So I told her to meet me after our last class and we'd head out to watch you band people practice, and I'd explain what I knew so far."

"Ok then. So far we know that you, me, Cody, Brandi. Ann, Andrew, and Javi all have Digivices. That makes a total of seven so far. I wonder if there are any more Digivices still out there" said Albert as he wondered out loud about the Digivices. He tried to see if he could make a connection between everybody so far but the only thing he could come up with is that they were all freshman at the same high school.

"I take it that band was particularly enlightening."

As the two continued their discussion, Winona happened to notice Michelle as she passed behind Albert to sit at the table behind them. More specifically, she noticed the orange-and-white Digivice hanging from Michelle's backpack. Surprise ran across Winona's face and then she regained her thoughts and said to Albert, comically insistent, "Hey, Albert, turn around," she hissed. Albert still sat in thought trying to put everything together.

"Turn around!" barked Winona.

"For what?" snarled Albert as he began to turn and look behind him. It was at that moment that he saw Michelle's Digivice hanging from her backpack. Albert's jaw dropped when he saw the device hanging from Michelle's back pack. Albert thought to himself for a few seconds then turned to Winona.

"How can I have not seen that? She sits right next to me in class."

"Maybe you were just sitting at the wrong angle." answered Winona, shrugging.

"Maybe, follow my lead" said Albert getting up. Winona looked confused but shadowed him. Albert tapped Michelle's shoulder. She turned around and smiled a bit when she saw who it was.

"Hey Dr. Albert, what's up?"

"Can we talk to you outside for a bit?" Albert asked, Winona standing behind him.

"Sure, what about?" said Michelle gathering her things and placing her bag over her shoulder. The three of them walked to the outside patio adjacent to the cafeteria. Winona and Albert pulled out their Digivices and showed them to Michelle. Michelle looked surprised when she saw them.

"How did you two get those?" asked Michelle.

"Sitting in front of a computer one minute, having this thing shot out into your palm the next, and then followed by a talking…creature coming out of the screen practically on top of you. Sound familiar?" said Winona, placing her Digivice back into her backpack.

"Yeah, that's exactly what happened," said Michelle still trying to get over the fact that she wasn't the only person with a Digivice.

"We know of a few other people who got these Digivices so we're going to meet after school at about 5:30 by the band hall to talk about all this." said Albert as he put his Digivice back into his backpack.

"Ok. What am I going to do until then?" asked Michelle.

"You can come with me and Brandi. We're gonna watch the band practice then meet up with everybody later." said Winona.

"Ok then. That works for me." smiled Michelle.

The group heard the bell ring, signaling the end of their lunch period. The group split up, heading for their respective classes.

The sun was starting to set over the horizon as the day was coming to an end. The air was much cooler now since the sun was no longer high above in the sky. Brandi, Winona, and Michelle waited for the others to show up out of their respective practices. The band group was the first to show up with Albert leading three other people to the group. Michelle laughed a bit when she saw them.

"You guys look beat," said Michelle.

"You try marching in the freaking sun for two hours straight in an open field with no clouds to block off the sun and make it cool," barked Albert. "Guys, we've got Javi, Ann and Andrew. They've all got Digivices like us."

The group exchanged greetings. The feeling on confusion over what had happened was mutual between all of them.

"So. What are we going to do now?" asked Ann, a short and skinny girl with dark toned skin. She just wore a tee shirt and pair of shorts due to having band practice after school. Javi was about the same size as Ann, but with a lighter skin tone. Both Javi and Andrew were dressed in the same manner, the only variance being the color of their clothes. Andrew was the tallest of the three.

"You said that there were other people right Albert?" asked Javi, pulling out his Digivice.

"Yeah, there is at least one other person that I know about that has a Digivice," said Albert. He looked around them.

Not long after, two figures approached the group. Cody walked up, followed by another boy whom the group had not yet seen. The other was tall and sported a buzz cut. Both of them were carrying heavy bags over their shoulders and wearing blue muscle shirts and shorts. They looked in no better shape than the band group.

"I guess we don't have it as bad," said Andrew.

"Hey guys, this is TJ, he's got a Digivice like us. So is this everybody?" asked Cody dropping his bag to the floor while TJ did the same.

"Looks like it." said Winona.

"Why don't we all head to the lake? We can probably talk in private there plus mine and Winona's Digimon are there waiting for us." said Albert

"Oh you did that to. That's what I did this morning. I thought I heard a few other people talking in that forest," said Brandi.

"That's what we all did," said Javi, speaking for Ann and Andrew.

"We both did that too," said TJ.

"Ok then, let's head for the lake" said Albert. The group set out for the lake to meet up with their Digimon.


	3. Ch 3 Partners

_**CH. 3 Partners**_

The group all walked together through the forested area towards the distant lake. They were talking amongst themselves; each explaining how he or she had each gotten his or her Digimon partner and all were showing each other their Digivices. Cody had a red Digivice, Michelle an orange colored one, Ann had a yellow one, Javi's was green, Brandi's was blue, TJ had his Teal Digivice, Andrew with grey, and Winona with a purple one. Albert's Digivice was the only that was a single solid color.

"So Albert, how did you get your Digimon?" asked TJ.

"Well…" started Albert. He began to think back to when he had first met his Digimon partner.

"_Winona is here son!" _

"_Ok dad, send her up to my room" yelled Albert._

_Winona entered Albert's room, carrying her backpack over her shoulder. She dropped the bag down on Albert's bed and pulled out her math book. Winona pulled up a chair and sat next to Albert, who was already on his computer surfing the web._

"_So are you ready to help me out with this stuff?" asked Winona, flipping through the pages in her book. _

"_Yeah, give me a second. There's this weird window on my computer screen that won't go away." said Albert, continuing his attempts to close the window._

"_Maybe you just have a virus or something," said Winona as she looked over the chapter she had stopped at._

"_I guess so. Not like it's… what the heck is this?" said Albert looking into his computer's screen._

"_What?" questioned Winona, looking up from her book._

"_This," said Albert, placing the cursor over what appeared to be a white dot forming on the screen. _

_The white dot was growing bigger and bigger on the computer screen. _

"_Maybe you should…" started Winona but stopped when the screen starting to glow a bright white. Two rays of light shot forth from the screen. One ray hit Albert's hand while the other ray entered Winona's hand. The two of them could feel something forming in their palm. It felt hard but had some form of a grip on it. The light from the screen began to fade leaving the computer screen black. Albert and Winona looked into their palms to find two odd looking devices._

"_What's this thing?" asked Winona, examining the odd looking device._

"_I have no idea. Can you hear that?" asked Albert, looking first at the device, then around the room._

"_What?" replied Winona, still looking at the device._

"_It sounds like something is pounding on glass." said Albert. He got closer to the computer screen and put his ear against the warm screen. The screen grew brighter again and a blue, wolf- like creature with red boxing gloves and headband came out of the screen, falling on top of Albert._

"_Could you be any less clumsy?" asked a female-sounding voice from behind the screen. Another creature began to appear. This one leapt from the screen and landed on its two feet. It was yellow, wore what appeared to be purple arm warmers, and resembled a fox._

"_You pushed me," barked the wolf like creature. This one sounded male._

_Winona stood in awe as she observed the two speaking creatures standing before her. Albert struggled to get up off the ground; the rather heavy looking wolf was still on top of him. _

"_Would you get off your partner?" asked the fox-like creature._

"_What? Oh, sorry about that. I didn't know I was gonna land on top of you" said the wolf trying to lend Albert a hand in getting up._

_Albert finally got off the ground and brushed himself off. He stopped and just observed the two creatures._

"_Ok, we must be dreaming," said Albert._

"_Most likely," added Winona._

"_This is all real you two. We've been waiting a long time to meet you guys. We're Digimon sent here to be your partners and guardians. My name's Gaomon, and since you the only boy-looking human in this room, I assume you must be Albert." said Gaomon offering one of its gloved hands to Albert to shake. In a slight daze, Albert grabbed Gaomon's glove and shook it. The glove felt real to him, very real._

"_I'm Renamon, I am pleased to meet you, my partner." said Renamon taking a slight bow before Winona. Winona's eyes lit up when she heard this._

"_Partner. You're my partner. This is so cool," said Winona, grinning._

"_Is she always like that?" asked Gaomon._

"_Yeah, you'll get used to it. So you say you're my partner. Why is that? Did you need help or something?" Albert asked._

"_Yep. You see our world, the Digital World, is in danger right now." said Gaomon, crossing his arms._

"_Danger from what?" asked Albert._

"_There's this evil Digimon with his lackey that has been terrorizing the Digital World and all its inhabitants. We've been waiting for our partners to finally show up. That thing in your hand is a Digivice and it'll only work with you and me together. I need you to help me Digivolve." said Gaomon._

"_Digivolve…" said Albert with a curious look on his face._

"_Digivolving is when we change from one form to another to fight or by just gaining experience" Renamon chimed in._

_Winona had been listening to the exchange with wide eyes._

"_Can you do it now?" she asked with a look of anticipation on her face. The two Digimon frowned and shook their heads._

"_No. That's what the Digivices are for. To help us go from one level to the next. We can't just do it on command." said Renamon._

"_Ok then. So you called this thing a Digivice" said Albert, looking over the object in his hand._

"_Yep. You may want to protect that thing with your life," said Gaomon nodding to the Digivice._

"_Ok then… I think I get it. I'm pretty sure that this is all a dream but yeah… I'll go with it," said Albert as he put the Digivice into his pocket._

_Winona still gazed up a Renamon with awe and admiration. She could not believe that she had her own Digital creature that would guard and protect her. It was something out of a dream._

"_I don't know if I want to tell all my friends about you…" mused Winona. "They might want one too, and something tells me that you Digimon aren't just for everybody."_

"_This is going to be a secret between us." said Albert._

"… and that's pretty much how we met our partners." said Albert pulling out his Digivice and looking into it.

"Wow. All mine did was step out of the screen, not topple me over." said Michelle with a smile.

"Looks like we are here guys," said Cody, looking at the lake. The cool blue water was before them. The air was much cooler here than anywhere else. Nine different looking creatures appeared from the forest and gathered before the group.

"So guys, let's meet each other's Digimon," said TJ.


	4. Ch 4 The Digimon Team

_**CH. 4 The Digimon Team**_

All the other Digimon stood before the group together. They provided a colored array.

"We were wondering when you'd get back," said one Digimon that looked like a small, orange dinosaur that closely resembled a tyrannosaurus. Its voice was normal and more than likely male.

"This is my Digimon partner Augumon," said Cody walking over to his Digimon partner. The two of them stood together before the group.

"This is Hawkmon, my Digimon partner," said Ann walking over to one of the Digimon. The Digimon closely resembled a crimson-colored hawk with a headband and stood on two feet.

"Pleased to meet all of you," said Hawkmon in a high pitched voice that sounded female.

Andrew stepped forward and stood by his Digimon. Andrew's Digimon partner looked like a small, tame red raptor with black markings.

"Meet Guilmon, my partner," said Andrew.

"Hi." said Guilmon in a sweet voice. The pitch of Guilmon's voice lead the group to believe that it was male.

"Guys, meet my Digimon, Monodramon," said Javi, strolling over to one of the Digimon. Monodramon looked a bit like a pterodactyl, albeit a pudgy, deep violet-colored one. He had a few yellow spots on his head, shoulders, and the backs of his 'hands'.

"Good to meet you all," said Monodramon in a heavy, low voice.

A small, light tan Digimon jumped right into Brandi's arms. Brandi hugged her Digimon. The creature resembled a blue-eyed puppy and had a soft voice.

"I missed you" said the creature.

"And I missed you. Guys, this is Salamon. She's my own Digimon partner." said Brandi, still holding the Digimon in her arms.

One Digimon ran up to TJ and tackled him to the ground. The Digimon closely resembled a lizard but stood on two legs. It was brown-eyed, with a blue body while its face and stomach region were white.

"Hi TJ! Did you bring me anything? Huh, did you? Did you?" asked the creature, jumping with energy.

"This little fire ball is Veemon and is my Digimon partner. Mind getting off of me?" asked TJ, pushing Veemon off his body.

Michelle walked over to her Digimon partner. Her Digimon looked kind of like a light orange dinosaur with blue fur hanging over its face and down the back. A horn stuck out from its head and had a blue egg-shape with purple markings on its stomach.

"Hi Gabumon, have fun out here by the lake? Everybody, this is Gabumon," said Michelle.

"I'm glad to meet all of you" said Gabumon in a low-toned voice.

Albert and Winona had already walked over to their Digimon and stood by them.

"Guys, meet Gaomon, my Digimon partner." said Albert.

"What's up everybody?" said Gaomon, trying to look cool.

"And this is Renamon," said Winona

"It is very nice to meet all of you," Renamon greeted the group.

Albert spoke up again. "Ok, guys, now that we all know each others' Digimon…what next?"

"Dunno. What are we supposed to fight, again?" Winona asked.

"Fight? How is Salamon going to fight? She's too little." Brandi chimed in.

"Yes, now, but once I Digivolve, I can take on anything," Salamon replied to her partner.

"Anything?" This came from Winona.

"Well, almost anything," the little tan Digimon replied.

"When you said evil Digimon, who, or rather what, did you mean?" said Albert looking at Gaomon.

"We don't really know about it. There are many bad Digimon but the thing is, we don't know if they are being lead by some other Digimon or if they're acting upon their own freewill," said Gaomon.

"That's why the Digivices were sent to all of you. You guys were meant to help us stop the evil back in our world." said Augumon.

"But why us though? Out of the thousands and thousands of teenagers out in the world, what makes us so special?" asked Javi.

"It's hard to say, really. We just know that once we were born in the Digital World, we had the one thought of finding our partner someday." said Hawkmon.

"So you guys have known about us since you were born?" questioned Brandi.

"Yeah, well we really didn't know who you were, just your name and that one day we would meet you." said Salamon.

"That's weird. You guys have had that one instinct about us all your lives. Now that I think about it…. How are we going to help you fight the evil Digimon if we don't know how to get there?" asked Michelle as she thought about the situation.

"Going to the Digital World is easy… you just… umm… wait I got it… you just…umm" started Guilmon.

"Nice try buddy" said Andrew.

"I'm guessing if the computer opened a gate for you guys to get here then…" began TJ.

"…then it should get you back there. The question is how?" finished Cody.

"I guess we'll have to try different things till we get something to work. Maybe we should head back guys. The sun has almost set and the path will be hard to see at night." said Albert.

"Yeah, we'd better head back. What are we going to do about you guys? You're all too big to sneak around without being seen." asked Ann as the thought occurred to her.

All their Digivices began to glow suddenly releasing a bright light. The Digimon began to glow then started to change their shapes. Once the light subsided, the Digimon were now in different forms, much smaller than what they were before. They all jumped into their partners arms.

"Is this better?" asked Cody's little partner.

"This will work," said Michelle.

"You all are so cute and fluffy" said Winona, hugging her Digimon very tightly.

"Don't squish your partner." said Albert sarcastically.

"Ok guys, I think we can leave our Digimon here every morning. Nobody will find them." suggested Cody.

"Let's meet again sometime. This was fun," said Brandi, holding onto her little yellow puffball of a Digimon.

"Ok, how about again tomorrow, same time and place?" asked Albert.

"That works," said Winona, who was still squeezing her Digimon.

"Let's go back then," said Andrew, already starting to head into the forest.

The group all began to head back through the hidden paths in the forest. Once they finally reached the school grounds, they said their goodbyes to each other and headed their separate ways.


	5. Ch 5 Digiport

_**CH. 5 Digiport**_

Winona had arrived early to the designated meeting spot by the lake. She pulled out her laptop, figuring that she might as well get some things looked up.

Albert arrived next. "Hey, Winona, you're here early. Been here long?"

Distractedly, she replied with a, "Not really. Trying to get ideas for homework. Not going well." She continued to type from her cross-legged position on the ground.

"Where's your Digimon?"

"Umm…hey, Viximon, where are you?"

They heard the tree branches above them rustle, then the little yellow Digimon hopped down. "Right here," she replied.

Wanyamon popped up from inside Albert's backpack. "Hey guys!"

"I thought I told you to stay in there," Albert exclaimed in exasperation.

"Yeah, but we're safe here," the little blue Digimon replied. He then proceeded to bounce over to Viximon, who greeted him with her own bouncing.

Albert looked like he was about to retort when Winona interrupted with a, "Don't bother. Just be glad yours knows when he's safe. I'm not sure if all the others know that yet."

He sighed just as Javi, Andrew, and Ann walked up, their respective Digimon popping up out of their backpacks as they reached the 'safe' area. Once the rest of the group had joined, there was a multicolored mass of bouncing Digimon.

"So what are we going to do now guys?" asked Brandi, looking over at the lake.

"We need to find some way into the digital world. We can't help the Digimon out if we can't head into their world," said Javi.

"I'm working on that" said Winona, still busy typing on her computer.

"Any luck?" questioned Cody.

"No, just this one screen that won't show anything but a window showing a picture of a plain region." Winona replied.

Winona turned the laptop around so the whole group could see the screen. The screen on the computer showed a black window with a small menu on the side. The display menu had a place to input data and coordinates. On the top section of the window was a red bar completely lit up but a green below it in a darkened color tone. The middle of the screen showed a plains-like region with a blue sky visible over the grass

"Ok, but how do we get there from here?" asked Ann, looking into the screen.

"I dunno, password maybe?" mused Winona. She turned with her back to the group so that both she and everybody else could see the screen.

"Don't you guys remember anything about getting here? You came through the computers. How do you think we get back?" Ann asked the assembled Digimon.

"Not really, no. I have no idea how to get back." Koromon answered her.

"Sooo…let's try the password guessing." Winona suggested.

"Ok, how about...Digiworld transfer?" Javi asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

The screen remained the same as it had been. A chorus of suggestions rained in after that….

"Digimon world go?"

"Digi-teleport?"

"Open Digiworld?"

"Digiworld access?"

"Digiport go?"

"Digital transfer?"

"Digiport open?"

At the last suggestion, voiced by Albert, the screen began to glow. "I was…"

Everyone, human and Digimon alike, were sucked into the screen. Bits of glowing green data flew by them in the blackish nothingness between the two worlds. The group landed in a spread-out position, everyone ending up on their backs and their Digimon landing on top. "…right?" followed by a collective "Ooomph!" from the group as the Digimon landed on them.

"Well, that worked." Winona stated the obvious. "Hey, where's my laptop? And, now that I think about it, how are we going to get back to our world?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Albert said.

The group got up from the ground, a little sore from the impact of landing. They brushed themselves off and surveyed the area.

They had landed at the edge of a forest. Plains surrounded them, the golden grass waving in the softly blowing wind. Several birds could be heard.

"This place is so beautiful." said Brandi in admiration. She looked to the group. "Cody! Look at your clothes!"

Cody looked over his new outfit. Though the group had similar outfits, with jeans, boots, and a black shirt, all had a light-weight vest the color of his or her own unique symbol. Each vest had a pocket with a strap over it to hold in an unknown device. Cody's was red, and as he turned, Javi caught sight of the black symbol on the back. "Hey Cody, looks like you have the same symbol on your back as on your Digivice…"

Cody replied with "I do?" and a curious look.

Everyone else nodded, and then proceeded to look over each other's vests.

"And what's this thing?" asked Winona, holding up the new device. She looked to it and spotted some writing. "A…Digimon Index?"

"D-Dex for short?" suggested Albert.

"That'll work," said TJ

"Let's go explore guys," said Ann with excitement.

"Not all together," replied Javi.

"Why not?" asked Ann.

"We'd never cover a lot of area like that. If we split up into group, we could cover more ground," said Andrew.

"That sounds good. Who's going to lead the groups?" asked Albert, playing with his D-Dex.

"Cody," said Michelle. The group nodded in unison with this idea. Cody stood before the group with Agumon.

"I think TJ should lead another group," suggested Brandi. Everyone nodded. TJ moved to stand by Cody in front of the group with Veemon.

"Albert should lead another group," said Ann with a smile.

"Me? Heck no, I'm not a good leader." Albert disagreed, shaking his head at the idea.

"Yes you are," said Winona, pushing Albert forward to stand with Cody and TJ. Gaomon followed him to the front.

"Who goes with who then?" asked Javi.

"I'll take Winona and Javi. Their Digimon look strong to me. Plus I need a few smart people in my group," said Cody laughing. Winona and Javi just shrugged and went to stand behind Cody, Renamon and Monodramon following their partners.

"I'll head out with Andrew and Ann. I think we'd make a good team." said TJ quickly. Andrew, Guilmon, Ann and Hawkmon walked over and stood behind TJ.

"That leaves Brandi and Michelle to head out with me," said Albert. Brandi and Michelle walked forward and stood behind Albert, followed by Salamon and Gabumon.

"Ok guys, Albert's group can go east, TJ's group will go west, and my group will head north. Meet back at this spot in about two hours," said Cody, taking off in the northern direction and checking his watch. Everyone nodded and headed out in their selected paths.


	6. Ch 6 Digivolution

_**CH. 6 Digivolution**_

The group of Cody, Winona, and Javi followed their path till they reached a forested area. A pause to look around before they headed deeper within the forest. Winona was playing with the D-Dex while she walked, mindful of things that she could trip over.

"What's that thing good for?" asked Cody, pushing a few shrubs out of the way. The forest was full of various plants growing from the rich-looking soil.

"So far it looks like it can show us a map of the area and tell us about any Digimon we see." replied Winona, still scanning over the device.

"That'll be helpful for later." said Javi.

"Where are all the Digimon? Agumon, we've been walking for awhile now and haven't see one single Digimon" Cody asked, pausing to look around

"It maybe better that we don't see any for now. Some Digimon can be very dangerous," said Agumon, standing by Cody.

"I guess you may have a point" said Cody, looking a little disappointed. He had hoped to see something while they were here. Suddenly, the leaves in the trees began to rustle a bit. The group halted for a moment as they looked up into the branches of the tree.

"You guys hear that?" asked Javi, still looking up into the web of branches overhead.

"I'll be right back," said Renamon disappearing for a moment. She reappeared, looking hurried.

"Quickly, we must get out of here" Renamon stated.

"Why?" asked Cody.

Before she could reply, a large gust of wind blew forth, knocking the group to the ground. A large Digimon swooped by, knocking the tree tops off. It resembled a large, maroon-colored stag beetle. Its wings buzzed as it flew back up into the air, coming back for another pass. Everyone ducked as it roared above their heads.

Winona aimed her D-Dex at the Digimon and scanned it. The Digimon's name, picture, and data appeared on the screen. "That's Kuwagamon; its main attack is Scissor Claw and it can cut through just about anything."

"Oh great now what do we do?" asked Javi, covering his head with his hands.

"Leave Kuwagamon to us. Ready guys?" asked Agumon, standing up in an attack stance. Renamon and Monodramon nodded and did the same as Agumon.

"Try this one for size, Pepper Breath!" said Agumon, emitting a small fireball from his mouth. The orb of fire launched forth and struck Kuwagamon directly on its chest.

Monodramon readied his fist as a purple aura began to glow around his it. "Take this, Beat Knuckle!" Monodramon leapt into the air and struck the Digimon right in the center of its forehead.

Renamon jumped elegantly in the air and crossed her arms over her chest. Small, gem like stones appeared around her. "Diamond Storm" said Renamon, opening her arms. The stones began to strike Kuwagamon all over its body.

Kuwagamon let out a loud roar then flew back into the sky.

"That's showing him," said Cody in triumph.

"Don't speak too soon, look!" said Winona as she pointed into the sky. Kuwagamon swooped down from the sky, using its Scissors Claw attack. Kuwagamon's mandibles began to glow white as it chopped down a majority of the trees around the group. They were trapped by Kuwagamon's attack.

"What do we do? The attacks didn't cause much damage to Kuwagamon," said Javi in distress.

"It'll cut us in half if we don't think of something quick." said Winona.

"You guys can do it. Come on, give it all you got." yelled Cody. The Digimon rose up and repeated their attacks. Kuwagamon let out another roar and flew back into the sky preparing for another attack. The Digimon were caught by surprise and knocked to the ground. Cody, Javi, and Winona all stood alone facing the Digimon threat.

"I'm not scared of you, you overgrown beetle!" yelled Cody, beginning to step forward toward the Digimon.

"It's best not to make said Digimon angry," Winona stated, trying to pull Cody back. Cody just broke her grip and charged for the Digimon.

"Cody stop!" yelled Javi.

"You're going to get hurt," added Winona desperately.

Cody just ran forward. He couldn't let everybody get hurt because of this single Digimon. As he ran, Agumon got up off the ground and began to run toward Cody. Cody's Digivice suddenly began to glow, emitting a bright white light. Agumon began to glow along with it, his body changing forms to a much larger one.

_Agumon Digivolve to … Greymon!_

The Digivolution had transformed Agumon into a higher form, Greymon. Greymon was essentially a much larger form of Agumon, but with blue stripes on the sides of its body and a brown skull-like helmet with a horn. Greymon was taller than most of the trees in the forest when he stood up to his full height. Cody froze as he looked up at his Digimon in awe.

"Cody, never charge into battle without me," said Greymon , a humorous tone in his voice.

"It's a deal buddy, now, take that bug down!" yelled Cody. Kuwagamon flew straight for Greymon. Greymon caught the Digimon in his claws and held it back.

"Let's end this, Nova Blast!" yelled Greymon, opening his mouth wide. A giant fire ball shot forth, destroying Kuwagamon. A few scraps of data flew up into the sky. Greymon began to glow, reverting back to Agumon.

"That was awesome," said Cody, picking up his Digimon.

"Yep, and I can do that as long as I have you for a partner," said Agumon happily.

Javi and Winona looked on with awe after viewing the battle. Things in the Digiworld were going to get more interesting.


	7. Ch 7 Rampage

_**CH 7 Rampage**_

TJ, Andrew, and Ann continued on their path through the digital world. They reached a grassy area that had several rocks emerging from the ground. They decided to take a break for a bit and rest up before heading back to meet the others.

"Man we've been walking for a long time. Remind me to pack water the next time we come here." said TJ, taking a seat on one of the rocks. Ann and Andrew did the same as they sat in a circle with their Digimon partners.

"You know, I expected this place to be crawling with Digimon, but it's really quiet around here," said Ann, looking around the area.

Andrew was looking through his D-Dex while Guilmon watched him.

"What are you doing?" asked Guilmon.

"Just checking to see what this thing can do. Looks like it's mostly for checking Digimon and showing maps," said Andrew, closing the D-Dex and putting in back into his pocket on the vest.

"I'm sure you'll find that data to be very helpful later," said Hawkmon.

"Hey TJ check this out!" yelled Veemon. TJ turned to see Veemon standing next to a set of large brown rocks sticking up from the ground. He got up and walked over to Veemon to check out the rock formation.

"What did you want me to see? They're just rocks," said TJ examining the stones.

"I wanted to show you my attack, check it out, Vee-Headbutt" said Veemon. He lowered his head and rammed it into the rocks. The whole formation shook for a bit then stopped.

"Whoa, you've got a lot of strength don't you Veemon?" said TJ.

"Yup" answered Veemon with a bit of pride in his voice.

The rocks began to move and shake all of a sudden. The formation started to lift off the ground. A Digimon stuck its head out from the rocks and let out a rather loud growl. It was completely tan colored and resembled a turtle with rock spikes on its back.

"Veemon, I don't think those are rocks," said TJ, beginning to step away slowly from the Digimon. Ann and Andrew heard the growl and came to investigate only to the Digimon staring angrily at TJ and Veemon. Andrew pulled out his D-Dex to identify the Digimon.

"Tortomon, a tortoise-like Digimon, that has a shell hard as stone. Its main attack is Strong Carapace," said Andrew, looking over the screen.

"TJ what did you do?" asked Ann, glaring at TJ.

"Nothing, Veemon watch to show me his attack" replied TJ nervously.

"You probably woke it up and now it's angry" said Ann as she backed away from the creature. The three of them started to take off running while Tortomon pursued them. Guilmon and Hawkmon stopped and faced Tortomon.

"This might slow him down, Pyro Sphere" said Guilmon, shooting off a red glowing orb from his mouth. The orb hit Tortomon but had no effect.

"Let me try. Feather Strike!" said Hawkmon pulling the feather off her head and throwing it at Tortomon. The feather just bounced off Tortomon's shell and came flying back toward Hawkmon. Hawkmon caught the feather and placed it back on her head.

"Any more ideas?" asked Ann in a panic. The group just kept running, trying to evade the closely-following Digimon. Tortomon's back began to glow and then sent a barrage of rocks shooting towards the group. One of the stones tripped Ann and TJ turned to see her go down and try to get up off the ground. He slowed and turned back to help Ann.

"Come on Ann, we have to hurry" said TJ, picking up Ann. Tortomon sent out another barrage of stones. TJ pushed Ann out of the way of the attack and took at few hits from the stones, which sent him sprawling to the ground. TJ held his side in pain. Tortomon raised one of its legs to crush him.

"TJ!" yelled Veemon. TJ's Digivice began to glow with a bright white light, Veemon began to glow, and he changed forms.

_Veemon Digivolve to… Veedramon_

Veedramon's new form was massive in size. The color patterns were almost identical to Veemon's except for the large V pattern on his chest. His claws had extended in length and there were two long horns growing from his head.

Veedramon stopped Tortomon from stepping on TJ and picked him up high off the ground. Veedramon threw the shelled Digimon across the ground asTJ struggled to get up.

"That you Veemon?" asked TJ, still holding his side.

"Yep, it's Veedramon now. Ann and Andrew, help TJ out. I can take care of Tortomon." Veedramon replied. Ann and Andrew supported TJ between and helped him walk away from the fight.

"Let's see how you like being attacked!" Veedramon yelled out to Tortomon. He crossed his arms over his chest and the released them, the V on his chest glowing.

"V-Nova Blast!" yelled Veedramon. The V pattern shot forth, colliding into Tortomon. The Digimon was knocked backwards. It let out a low growl and took off, away from the group and Veedramon. His task complete, Veedramon began to glow and reverted to his original form of Veemon.

"Guess he was just being a bully. You ok buddy?" asked Veemon, looking at TJ.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Just a few bump and scratches, nothing I haven't had befo… agh…" said TJ, holding his side in pain again.

"We'd better get you back so that Albert and Michelle can take a look at you." said Andrew. The three of them and their Digimon headed back to where they were supposed to meet with the others.


	8. Ch 8 Attack From Below

_**Ch 8 Attack From Below**_

Albert, Michelle, and Brandi followed a path through the tall grass and eventually reached a hilly area. The hills were almost glowing from the light of sun setting in the distance. They all took a seat on one and watched the sun set for a bit.

"This place is so beautiful." said Brandi.

"Yep, there are places like these where anybody can come and just watch the sun set in peace," said Salamon hopping into Brandi's lap.

"It's so nice here. Where are all the other Digimon, Gabumon?" asked Michelle.

"They come and go, attending to their own agendas. Not all Digimon are evil you know." said Gabumon.

Albert was playing with the D-Dex "Looks like this thing can give us data on Digimon and tell us our current location. This should come in handy the more we explore the Digital world," he stated.

"I wonder how you guys got those. That and how come your clothes changed here," Gaomon mused.

"Who knows, maybe we'll find out later when we get to see more of the Digital world," Brandi replied, still looking into the sunset.

"Maybe," said Michelle in thought.

The ground shook a little then stopped for a bit. "You guys feel that?" asked Albert, getting up off the ground.

The ground shook again but more violently this time. "I felt that," said Michelle, her and Brandi standing up as well.

The ground began to shake violently as a Digimon appeared from the ground. It resembled a mole and had purple fur with a white underbelly. A large horn, looking quite a lot like a drill, stuck out from its nose. Albert scanned the Digimon with his D-Dex "Drimogemon, it lives underground and uses its horn for an attack called Iron Drill Spin."

"Guys, I think we should like run" said Michelle, starting to back away from the Digimon.

"Why, he looks harmless and sweet," said Brandi, approaching the Digimon. The Digimon let out a growl and began to spin its horn. Brandi let out a small scream and stepped back.

"Get away Drimogemon, Puppy Howling" said Salamon letting out a howl. Drimogemon just looked at Salamon and thrust its horn forward, trying to attack Salamon.

"Help Salamon out Gabumon!" yelled Michelle. Gabumon charged toward Drimogemon.

"Blue Blaster!" said Gabumon, aiming his horn for Drimogemon. A stream of blue energy shot forth and struck the Digimon, causing it to return underground.

"Good job, Gabumon," said Michelle.

Salamon leapt back into Brandi's arms. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."

"You were in danger and I had to protect you," replied Salamon.

The ground began to shake again and Drimogemon reemerged from the ground. The monster tried to attack Gabumon but he dodged in time to avoid it.

"I thought that that would be too easy," stated Albert.

"Wild Bark!" yelled Gaomon, opening his mouth. Several blue rings shot forth from Gaomon's mouth, impacting with and knocking Drimogemon back against the ground.

"Take that." said Gaomon in triumph.

Drimogemon began to attack the group with its horn, continuing forward as they backed up. The Digimon could only dodge the attacks. There wasn't time to attack the without taking a hit. Drimogemon rammed its horn deep into the ground, causing a split in the ground to appear. Albert and Gaomon were separated from Michelle, Brandi, Salamon, and Gabumon. Drimogemon began to focus its attacks on the girls and their Digimon partners.

"We have to help them," said Albert.

"Any ideas?" asked Gaomon, surveying the area.

"Yeah, attack Drimogemon to draw its attention over here." said Albert. Gaomon nodded in agreement.

"Wild Bark" yelled Gaomon, sending his attack to Drimogemon. The Digimon turned and began to go after Albert and Gaomon.

"What's the plan now?" asked Gaomon, looking up at Albert.

"Umm… my plan was to get it away from the girls. I really had no other plan than that." said Albert with a nervous laugh.

"Oh great." said Gaomon. The two of them began to run from Drimogemon as the Digimon attacked. The ground began to shake again, causing Albert to fall onto the ground.

"Gaomon, help!" yelled Albert as Drimogemon approached closer and closer.

"Albert!" yelled Gaomon. Albert's Digivice began to glow and Gaomon started to glow and change form.

_Gaomon Digivolve to… Gaogamon._

Gaogamon was bigger than Gaomon by a long shot. He now stood on all fours. His fur remained a deep blue color while his red headband was now longer and flowed with the wind. Gaomon's red boxing gloves were now black gloves on Gaogomon. He charged ahead to aid Albert.

"Spiral Blow!" yelled Gaogamon, opening his mouth. A cyclone appeared from Gaogamon's mouth and shot forth lifting Drimogemon high into the air and throwing him away into the distance.

"Need a lift?" asked Gaogomon stopping in front of Albert.

"Yeah. Let's get the others and head back" said Albert, climbing onto Gaogomon's back. Gaogamon leapt over each gap with ease. They stopped to allow Michelle, Brandi, and their partners to climb onto Gaogamon's back. Gaogamon headed back to where the team was supposed to meet.

"This is so cool." said Brandi happily.

"I can't wait till my partner can Digivolve." said Michelle.

"As long as you need me Albert, I can change anytime." said Gaogomon.

"Thanks buddy." said Albert holding on to his Digimon tightly.


	9. Ch 9 Back Home

_**Ch 9 Back Home**_

Cody, Winona, and Javi finally reached the plains region from where the group had originally appeared. The three of them looked around to see if they could see either of the other groups coming. Just a sliver of the sun was still visible on the horizon, giving off ample light for them to still see in all directions.

"I wonder where they are…" mused Javi.

"They should be fine." said Winona.

"Guys look, isn't that TJ and his group?" asked Cody, pointing in to the west. TJ, Ann, and Andrew were heading back slowly to the group. They finally reached Cody and his team. Ann helped TJ to the ground so he could rest for a bit.

"What happened to you guys?" asked Winona.

"Tortomon is what happened. He attacked us but TJ and Veemon took him out." said Ann.

"Veemon Digivolved into Veedramon and sent Tortomon away crying." said Andrew.

"You alright man?" asked Cody, kneeling beside TJ.

"Yeah, just my side hurts right now. I took an attack from Tortomon so it hurts when I move a lot." said TJ.

"Alright then, Albert and Michelle should be able to help you out, as soon as they get here." said Cody.

"You guys were attacked too? We got attacked by the Digimon called Kuwagamon but Cody and Agumon stopped it when Agumon Digivolved to Greymon and burnt that bug to a crisp." said Javi.

Ann looked over to the east and saw a large figure heading toward them. "Is that the others?"

They all turned to see a large wolf like creature heading for them .The Digimon stopped in front of them while Brandi, Albert, Michelle, Salamon, and Gabumon all climbed off. Gaogamon reverted back to Gaomon and sat onto the ground.

"Man you guys are heavy." said Gaomon in exhaustion.

"Sorry about that buddy." said Albert.

"That's you Digimon's evolved form!?" said Javi in amazement.

"Yep." said Albert with pride.

"I want a Digivolved form like that." said Winona enviously.

"Oh my, TJ, are you ok?" said Michelle in a panic, kneeling down beside TJ and checking his wounds.

"Yeah, it's just a few minor stuff, I'll be fine. OW!" cried TJ when Michelle touched his side.

"Think you guys can help him?" asked Cody.

"Yeah, but we need to head back to our world. I have a bunch of medical supplies at my house that can help with all those cuts and bruises." said Albert.

"Thing is…how do we get back?" asked Brandi.

"I think this will help," said Andrew, standing in front of a screen. A small television was lying on the ground next to one of the trees. The image on the screen showed a picture of the lake that they were at before they entered the Digital world.

"It's worth a shot. If it worked once it should work again. Digiport open!" said Albert, holding his Digivice to the screen. The whole group was sucked into the screen and dumped back at the lake. TJ let out a cry of pain when he landed. All the Digimon had reverted back to their rookie forms, while the humans' clothes returned to normal.

"I think we should call it quits for the night." said Ann, getting up off the ground.

"Ok then guys. We'll meet again another day to travel to the Digi World. Right now TJ needs medical attention." said Cody.

"I'll take TJ over to my house and help him out there." said Albert.

"You're gonna need help so I'll come to." said Michelle. Albert just shrugged in agreement with her.

"Ok then guys, we'll meet again some other time." said Cody. The group nodded in agreement, disbanded and headed back for the school.

Albert rummaged through his fridge trying to find something to eat. He grabbed a few leftovers and some fruit and placed them on a plate. Headed up the stair case to his room carrying the load of food. When he entered his room he was tackled by the Digimon, who went straight for the food.

"Glad to see you guys like the food" said Albert, getting up off the ground. Michelle was working on helping TJ but was met with a lot of resentment.

"Ow, that hurts Michelle." groaned TJ, sitting on Albert's bed while Michelle tried to wrap bandages around TJ's ribs.

"Your ribs are strained and you need to keep them well wrapped to avoid future complications." said Michelle in an almost parental tone.

"Let me try." said Albert, switching places with Michelle. Albert began to wrap the bandages around TJ's ribs. TJ was a bit relieved to have him do this. Albert finished wrapping the bandages around TJ and then handed him back his shirt. TJ began to slip the shirt back on but winced a little with pain.

"Take it easy for the next few days." said Albert, putting away the excess medical supplies into a box with a large red cross on it. He slipped the box under his bed. The Digimon all jumped onto the bed and made themselves comfortable. It wasn't long until they were sound asleep in a pile.

"They are so cute when they sleep." said Michelle.

"They have stomachs like black holes but I guess they are cute in a way," said Albert as he looked at the dish on the floor. It was completely spotless.

"I wonder how they Digivolved though." said TJ.

"From what I could gather, they Digivolved to protect their partners from harm. You, me, and Cody were all in danger when they Digivolved." said Albert.

"That's right," said Michelle.

"We still have a lot to learn about the Digital World. Man, look at the time, I'd better head home." said TJ, getting up. He picked up his Digimon off the bed and began to head for the door. "Thanks for the help Albert, I owe you one" said TJ as he exited the room.

"I have to go to Albert. See you tomorrow." said Michelle picking up her partner Digimon as well and leaving the room. Albert saw the two of them to the door and returned to his room. He turned off the lights and collapsed onto the bed with his Digimon. Albert began to drift off into sleep. He could feel Wanyamon's fur against his cheek as he began to fall deeper and deeper into sleep. It was a warm feeling to know that he had a guardian with him. Albert felt a lot safer with his partner by his side.


	10. Ch 10 Attack From Above

_**CH. 10 Attack From Above**_

The school day had continued like most other days. Nothing new or exciting had happened all day, and by this time, Winona was feeling quite bored. She sat alone in the computer lab, checking out the Digiport screen. Hearing the door open, she quickly hid the viewing window and turned to see Albert and Michelle walk into the lab with their backpacks.

"Thought we'd find you here. What are you doing in here?" asked Albert, trying to look onto the computer screen.

"Checking out the digital world screen from yesterday. I think I found something interesting." said Winona as she pulled up the window again.

"Really? What?" asked Michelle, pulling up a chair. Albert did the same.

Winona brought up a map of the digital world. It was colored like most physical maps in the human world, showing which regions had what kind of terrains. There was a grid system overlaid on top of the map. It was mostly covered with static that prevented anything from being seen. There was a small cluster of squares on the center of the map that weren't blocked.

"I figured out that this little clump of squares is where we visited yesterday. My conclusion is that we can only visit regions that we have been to before." said Winona.

"That makes sense. It'll be awhile before we can reveal the whole map." said Michelle, looking over the map.

"You know, we should keep visiting regions closer to the ones we haven't visited. That way we can open more and more of the map." said Albert.

"Yep. There is a mountain region close to where my group was yesterday. I think we should start there." suggested Winona, pointing to an area on the screen.

"Look, there's a lake area close by too. We should split up again like we did last time to open up more of the map." added Michelle, pointing to a square close by the one Winona had pointed to.

"Sounds like a plan to me. We'd better get going guys. The bell is about to ring." said Albert, checking his watch. Winona closed the program so that nobody could see what they had been doing. The three of them left the computer room together and headed for class.

The group met again by the lake, their Digimon partners bouncing happily over. Winona pulled up the map screen while the others gathered around.

"Wait a second guys," said Javi before any of them could open the Digiport.

"What?" questioned Brandi.

"We can't just leave the computer out in the open again like last time. If something happens to Winona's laptop, we'll be stuck in the Digital World" answered Javi.

"He's got a point." said Albert.

"Somebody has to stay here and watch over the thing." said Javi.

"Maybe you should stay TJ, your still hurt." said Ann.

"I'm fine guys" said TJ, a little annoyed.

"You took a blow man. I think you should stay." said Cody.

"I'll stay with him," said Brandi, walking over to TJ.

"Me too," said Andrew, following. TJ just shrugged. There was no point in fighting the group.

"Ok then. I guess we're going to the Digital World." said Ann, pulling out her Digivice and holding it up to the computer screen.

"Digiport Open." cried Ann. The group was sucked through the gate along with their partners. They landed with a thud on the ground deep within the forest that Cody and his team had visited the other day.

"So we'll split up again. Me, Ann, and Javi will visit the mountain region" said Cody.

"And me, Winona, and Michelle will visit the lake region then," added Albert. The two groups split up and headed on their paths.

Cody, Javi, and Ann arrived at the mountain region and began to climb, using a rough path carved in the side of the mountain. It was a slow process. Cody had no problem climbing the mountain path cause of his physical stature. Javi and Ann, however, were having a problem keeping up.

"Can't we take a break Cody? I'm tired." cried Ann as Hawkmon flew overhead.

"There's a clearing just up ahead," added Hawkmon, landing on one of the rocks.

"I guess we can. Only for a little while though." said Cody. The team reached the clearing and sat in a circle to rest up before heading back on the path. Javi played with his D-Dex for a bit while the group rested.

"Not much left on this mountain that we can climb. If we keep going any further we'll hit a dead end in the path and have to start physically climbing" said Javi closing his D-Dex.

"No problem we can do this" said Cody.

"Not all of us are as strong as you Cody." said Ann.

"Maybe we should come back after we have more experience" said Monodramon.

"I can keep going" said Cody.

"I can't though buddy. Claws aren't meant for climbing up a steep slope." said Agumon, holding up his claws. Cody just sighed a bit. The group was startled by a loud roar.

"What was that?" said Ann getting up off the ground and looking into the sky.

"That would be him." said Hawkmon, pointing up into the sky at a large, dragon like Digimon. The Digimon looked like a teal snake with red wings and a white skull backed by orange frills for a helmet. Javi reopened his D-Dex to scan the Digimon.

"Airdramon, a dragon type Digimon. It uses its Spinning Needle attack to crush its enemies. Oh great, we're doomed." said Javi, putting the D-Dex into his pocket on the vest.

"No we're not. Ready Agumon?" asked, Cody holding up his Digivice.

"Yeah, let's take car e of this Digimon." Agumon replied.

_Agumon Digivolve to… Greymon_

Agumon transformed into Greymon again. The dinosaur prepared for an attack.

"Let him have it Greymon." said Cody.

"With pleasure, Nova Blast!" cried Greymon, releasing a great fire ball. Airdramon dodged the attack and released one of his own, collided with the side of the mountain, causing several rocks to fall to the ground. Greymon quickly stopped the large boulders from crushing the group.

"I can't fight and stop the boulders at the same time" said Greymon, struggling to hold up one of the boulders.

"We need to get out of here." said Javi, heading for the path they took to climb the mountain. Airdramon released another attack, destroying the path.

"Or not." said Javi, backing up.

"Any other plans?" asked Cody. The group of them was trapped.

"I can't attack with him being so high. My attack won't reach him." said Monodramon.

"I can though. Feather Strike!" said Hawkmon, releasing her head feather. The feather merely bounced off of Airdramon and returned to the bird Digimon.

"On second thought…" said Hawkmon in dismay.

Airdramon released another attack causing another rockslide. Ann was too scared to move in time. Cody ran to Ann and grabbed her. Several rocks collided with him while Greymon stopped the rest.

"You o…" started Cody, but he was cut off as a stray rock flew down and hit him in the head, knocking him out.

"Cody! Wake up!" said Ann, shaking Cody. He showed no signs of stirring.

"Not again. Somebody else got hurt cause of me." said Ann in tears. She faced Airdramon. "I'll stop you. I won't let any of my friends get hurt again!" cried Ann. Her Digivice began to glow brightly. Hawkmon glowed, changing forms.

_Hawkmon Digivolve to… Aquilamon_

Hawkmon's new form was massive and rivaled that of Airdramon. Aquilamon resembled a large crimson eagle with two partly-twisted black horns. He flew up and confronted Airdramon above the group.

"Whoa…" said Javi, looking up at the great beast.

"I think somebody needs to teach you a lesson. Blast Rings!" cried Aquilamon. Several red rings shot forth from Aquilamon's mouth and struck Airdramon directly. The teal Digimon let out a loud cry, circled around, and flew off. Aquilamon landed in the opening that the group was trapped on.

"You concern for your friends helped me Digivolve, Ann. I'll help you whenever you need me." said Aquilamon gently. Ann began to dry her tears.

"We should get back down before anything else decides to show up." said Javi as Greymon returned to his previous form of Agumon.

"I'll carry you all down the mountain" said Aquilamon. Ann climbed up on Aquilamon while Javi, Monodramon, and Agumon helped carry Cody on top of the great Digimon. Aquilamon lifted off the ground and headed back to the base of the mountain.


	11. Ch 11 Lurking

_**CH. 11 Lurking**_

Albert, Winona, and Michelle continued through the trees until they reached a large lake in the middle of the forest. The area seemed rather still and quiet for a location in the digital world. They walked along the shore, examining the lake front and the surrounding area.

"Reminds me of the lake back at home." said Michelle, staring deeply into the dark blue water.

"Yeah, only difference is that the trees are still green. The trees back in the real world are fading in color already." said Albert.

"I wonder if there are any Digimon here?" asked Winona, pulling out her D-Dex.

"Let's hope not. Some of them can be vicious, if you haven't noticed." said Albert.

"You're no fun." Winona replied as she scanned the area. The D-Dex could not pick up anything in their current area but she kept scanning the lake, Renamon following her.

"She'll be at it for a while," said Albert, stopping to look into the water.

"Do you guys know why the Digimon are acting like this?" asked Michelle.

"Nope. Things in the Digital World have been strange recently." said Gabumon.

"We think that there may be something causing all these Digimon to attack and probably why you guys were given Digivices," added Gaomon.

"I guess we'll find the reason eventually," said Albert. There was a large splashing sound up ahead causing Albert and Michelle to look forward. Winona came running with Renamon behind her.

"What did you do?" asked Albert, glaring at Winona.

"Nothing" said Winona "We just got to go. Now."

"Why? We just got here." said Michelle.

"Well there was this Digimon underwater and I wanted to get a glimpse at it. I picked up a rock and threw it into the water and well… the Digimon isn't happy about that." said Winona, trying to make light of the situation.

"Which one?" asked Albert.

A large, teal, serpent-like Digimon with a golden helmet arose from the waters of the lake. Its long body emerged from the lake to reveal a large diamond-shaped red tail.

"That one." Winona answered.

Albert pulled out his D-Dex and got the Digimon's data.

"Seadramon, an aquatic Digimon. It attacks its opponents with an attack called Ice Winder. Why did you have to bother this one?" asked Albert as he backed up, away from the Digimon. Their Digimon partners all stepped up before the group.

"Sorry" smiled Winona sheepishly.

"We'd better get out of here." said Michelle. Seadramon let out its Ice Winder attack, freezing the trees behind them.

"Looks like we have to fight then. Gaomon…" started Albert.

"I'm on it" started Gaomon.

_Gaomon Digivolve to… Gaogamon_

Gaomon took on his new form and stood in an attack stance, baring his fangs. Gaogamon leapt into the air to attack Seadramon, but it lashed out with its tail and knocked him to the ground.

"Try this on for size, Spiral Blow!" yelled Gaogamon releasing his cyclone-like current. Seadramon retaliated with its Ice Winder attack, knocking him down. Gaogamon got up off the ground and stood at the ready again. Renamon and Gabumon tried their attacks in an attempt to assist stopping Seadramon.

"Diamond Storm." said Renamon with her attack but it was blocked by Seadramon's tail.

"Blue Blaster!" yelled Gabumon releasing his energy stream. The attack also had no effect on Seadramon.

"Any more ideas?" asked Albert. Gaogamon leapt in for another attack but was knocked down again by Seadramon. The water dragon Digimon attacked with another Ice Winder, hurting Gaogamon and causing him to freeze. Albert ran to his partner's aid.

"You ok buddy?" asked Albert.

"Yeah…I'm freezing cold… though." said Gaogamon, shivering. Albert tried to rub Gaogamon to warm him up. He was tiny compared to his Digimon so it had little effect on him. Seadramon readied for another attack. Michelle and Gabumon ran to Albert's and Gaogamon's aid.

"That tail is protecting him. It's hard to attack without getting hit." said Albert. Seadramon let out another attack toward the pair but it was diverted by an attack from Renamon.

"We need a plan." said Winona. Gaogamon struggled to get up and protected the group. "I… can take… him…" said Gaogamon, still shivering.

Michelle and Gabumon looked at each other then at Seadramon. Gabumon ran alongside Gaogamon.

"We have to get out of here." said Winona.

"If Gaogamon can stand up and fight then me and Gabumon can do the same. Right Gabumon?" said Michelle as her Digivice began to glow.

"Right." said Gabumon. His form began to change.

_Gabumon Digivolve to… Garurumon_

Garurumon's form was essentially that of a wolf with blue tiger stripes, with long fangs poking out from under his lips. Garurumon let out a loud howl, causing Seadramon to shutter a bit.

"Come on Garurumon." cried Michelle. Garurumon leapt into the air as Seadramon's tail began to rise from beneath the water.

"Not this time. Take out the tail Gaogamon." said Albert. Gaogamon let attacked, knocking Seadramon's tail back into the lake. Garurumon opened him mouth for an attack.

"This'll put you down. Howling Blaster!" yelled Garurumon, releasing a large beam of blue energy. The attack stuck Seadramon and sent him deep into the water.

"That's how you do it! Teamwork." said Albert in triumph. The two Digimon reverted back to their original forms. Gaomon was still shivering a bit so Albert took off his vest and placed it on him.

"Warm now buddy?" asked Albert with a smile.

"Yeah, a little bit." Gaomon replied appreciatively.

"Great work Gabumon." said Michelle, giving Gabumon a thumbs-up sign. Gabumon just blushed a bit and said "I'll take on that form whenever you need me to."

"I can't believe you two stood up to that Digimon." said Winona.

"We had to protect our partners like how they protect us. Not much to that logic." said Albert.

"Let's head back to meet the others at the base of the mountain they went to go see." said Michelle. The group began to head back to the base of the mountain, their mission to plot the lake finished.


	12. Ch 12 Mechanization

_**CH. 12 Mechanization**_

Ann and Javi made Cody as comfortable as they could once they reached the base of the mountain. Javi took off his vest and folded it so that Cody could have something soft to rest his head on. Agumon sat beside Cody, watching and waiting for him to wake up.

"I hope the others get here soon." said Ann with a worried look on her face.

"They'll get here soon. Albert and Michelle can help Cody out just like they did with TJ," said Javi, trying to ease Ann's worrying. The two looked into the forest and hoped that something friendly would come out. It wasn't long until Albert and his team emerged from the forest. Gaomon was still wearing Albert's vest to keep him warm.

"Hey guys…" started Michelle…then she caught a glimpse of Cody on the ground.

"Oh my gosh… What happened to him?" asked Michelle, quickly checking Cody's vital signs.

"He got knocked on the head by a rock when we got into a fight with another Digimon." said Agumon.

Albert knelt down beside Cody and began to check Cody's head. Sure enough, Albert felt a large bump on the side of his head where the rock collided.

Albert let out a sigh "We really need to plan these trips accordingly. I should start bringing my medical bag with me."

"Yeah, that's actually a good idea." said Winona. Cody groaned as he began to stir. Michelle quickly knelt down beside him as the group surrounded Cody.

"Aww man… my head…" mumbled Cody as he began to awaken. He looked up at the group. "Did we win against Airdramon?"

Ann smiled a bit "Yeah. Hawkmon Digivolved to Aquilamon and took him out. You ok?"

"Yeah. Just my head hurts like crazy right now." said Cody as he began to stand up. Albert and Michelle quickly aided him, supporting him between them.

"We should head back." said Javi, checking the time on his D-Dex. The group nodded and found yet another T.V. screen in the forest. They held out their Digivices "Digiport open!" yelled Ann. The group was sucked into the screen and dumped back into the real world with a loud thud.

"You guys all right?" asked Andrew.

"Yeah. Cody got a bump on his head but other than that, we're good" said Albert.

"So nothing new then." laughed TJ. Cody just glared at him.

"We'll meet again tomorrow guys and go to the Digiworld. Cody, you come with me and we'll get that bump taken care of." said Albert. The group nodded and dispersed back to the school. Michelle followed Albert and Cody so she could help with the treatment.

The next day at school continued into normalcy. When school and practices were over, the group meet up again at the lake with their partners.

"So who's going this time and who's watching the computer?" asked Javi, looking at the group.

"I'm going this time. Cody you should stay here and rest." said TJ.

"I'm fine. It's going to take more than a rock to put me down." said Cody, crossing his arms.

"You're staying and that's final. I'll stay with him," said Michelle as she grabbed Cody by his collar.

"I think I'll stay too. I want to check some data out on my laptop while you guys are away." said Winona. The group nodded, agreeing with the idea.

"So where are we going to go see then?" asked Ann. Winona pulled up the Digital World map. More squares had revealed themselves around the two new areas that they had explored the day before.

"There is a cave close to where you guys were on that mountain yesterday. There is also a factory-like region near the lake where we visited yesterday. I'll set you guys up to appear close to those two areas." said Winona, typing on her laptop. She readied the gate for the group. The team held out their Digivices. "Digiport open!" yelled TJ. The group was sucked back into the Digital world and appeared near the mountain region from the day before.

"I'll head out with Ann and Javi to the factory region." said TJ.

"So that means that me, Andrew, and Brandi will go to the cave region then." added Albert. The two groups split up, heading for the agreed-to areas.

TJ and his team reached the factory region relatively quickly. The ground went from earth to solid steel abruptly, their footsteps clicking as they walked over the metal. They passed through a large, open gate, entering the factory's main center. The place was buzzing with energy; the group watched as the machines built pieces of equipment.

"That's odd." said Javi, examining the machines in motion.

"What?" asked Ann.

"The machines are building things here but are taking them apart over here." said Javi, walking over to another conveyer belt.

"So pretty much this place makes and dismantles machinery." said TJ as he looked around the factory.

"Yep, it's kinda pointless." said Javi.

Ann was looking over to a robot-looking machine at the far end of the room they were in. The robot was a light brown color with bronze trim along its body. It sat there, unmoving.

"Check this out!" said Ann, yelling over to the guys. Javi and TJ approached the robot and looked over it. TJ knocked on the robots head and shrugged. Javi check the robot on his D-Dex to see if it was a Digimon.

"It's a Digimon named Guardromon. It's a machine-type Digimon with a missile attack called Guardian Barrage." Javi stated.

"Guess it's out of order," joked TJ. The group began to exit the factory when they heard a beeping sound behind them. Guardromon began to rise, its eyes glowing a bright red.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Must destroy." said the Digimon.

"Destroy?" repeated Ann. The Digimon raise its arms, revealing a set of missiles.

"Guardian Barrage!" said the Digimon, firing the missiles at the group. The group ducked while the salvo of missiles flew over head. The group got up onto their feet and took off running to the exit of the factory. They reached the gate, but it was closed tightly.

"Great. Now what?" asked Javi. The group turned to see Guardromon, coming at them at a good pace.

"I think it's time guys." said TJ, holding up his Digivice.

_Veemon Digivolve to… Veedramon_

"You too, Hawkmon." said Ann.

"I can't Digivolve here. Those electrical wires overhead will fry me." said Hawkmon with a frown. Ann looked up to see power lines, unnoticed by the group until now.

"Just leave it to us then." said TJ. Veedramon went in for an attack but was blown back by Guardromon's attack. Javi looked around but could find no escape. He turned to his partner Monodramon.

"Think you can help?" asked Javi.

"Only if you believe I can." replied Monodramon.

"I do. I do believe that you can take out that hunk of junk." said Javi, holding out his Digivice.

_Monodramon Digivolve to… Strikedramon_

Monodramon had Digivolved to a bigger form, though still smaller than Veedramon. Strikedramon had the same coloring, but with pieces of metal armor on his body.

"That's so cool" said Ann, looking over the Digimon. Strikedramon leapt into the air, blue flames appearing around his body. He went in for an attack, calling out "Striking Barrage!"

A flurry of punches and kicks were let loose upon Guardromon. The attack was too quick for the Digimon to react to and defend itself. Guardromon was knocked back and his eyes began to fade out, sputtering.

"That was awesome." said Javi. Strikedramon just nodded and reverted back to Monodramon, Veedramon doing the same. The gates to the factory swung open, allowing the group to escape. They began to head back to their meeting location.

"Just remember Javi, as long as you need me to help, I'll always defend you." said Monodramon.

Javi smiled as the group walked, happy to have his Digimon partner.


	13. Ch 13 In The Cave

_**CH. 13 In The Cave**_

Albert, Brandi, and Andrew all reached the mouth of the cave that Winona had sent them to investigate. The group looked deep into the darkness of the cave, trying to make out details. Their partners looked on from close behind.

"We have a problem guys. How are we going to see when it's so dark in there?" asked Albert as he looked into the cave.

"He's got a point" said Guilmon. Gaomon walked over to a small formation of ovular stones growing on the side of the cave. He quickly stuck the formation, shattering the crystals to small pieces. He picked them up and gave one each to Albert, Brandi, and Andrew.

"These are Glow Crystals. They'll glow when there is no light shining on them." said Gaomon.

"That solves that. Let's go in then." said Albert, leading the way with his partner. The group followed close behind, going deeper into the cave. The light from the crystals they were carrying helped guide them through the maze of pathways.

"It's so cold in here." said Brandi, shivering a bit.

"We're underground now. The temperature is bound to drop some." said Andrew. Guilmon sniffed around the caverns in a playful manner. He stopped when he reached a large, solid black rock.

"What's this?" Guilmon asked, poking the rock. Andrew stopped and walked over to Guilmon.

"What's wrong?" asked Andrew, looking over Guilmon.

"This rock is funny. It smells different, too." said Guilmon, sniffing the rock.

"Come on, we'll lose the others if we don't keep up." said Andrew. The two of them started to head for where the group had continued. There was a low growling sound that began to grow and grow.

"That your stomach Guilmon?" asked Andrew with a nervous tone in his voice.

"No, my tummy never rumbles that loud." said Guilmon. Getting a feeling of dread, the pair turned around to see a massive, rhino-like Digimon behind them. The creature had a solid black shell on its back and a white belly. It growled loudly at the two. Andrew and Guilmon turned and began to sprint away from the creature. They ran deeper into the cave, looking around until they spotted the lights from the crystals that Brandi and Albert were holding.

"Hear that?" asked Brandi, looking around.

"Yep, sounds like it is coming from behind us." said Salamon. Albert pulled out his D-Dex and began to scan the area. He stopped when the D-Dex picked up a Digimon chasing Andrew and Guilmon.

"Monochromon, it's a dinosaur-type Digimon, says here that it likes to use its Volcanic Strike attack to blast his enemies." said Albert, closing his D-Dex. Andrew ran past them, followed by his partner. Albert and Brandi ran after the two of them.

"Why does this keep happening to us?" said Brandi in exasperation. The group reached a fork in the cave. Without thinking Brandi, Andrew, and Guilmon took the path on the left while Albert, Gaomon, and Salamon took the path on the right. Monochromon took the path to the left, pursuing Andrew and Brandi. They kept running until they emerged into a large room with a giant Glow Crystal on the ceiling. The room was well lit due to the light from the crystal. The group found themselves trapped, as Monochromon blocked the only path out.

"Where's Salamon?" said Brandi, looking around the room.

"She probably ran with Albert. We have a bit of a situation to deal with." said Andrew. Only Guilmon could defend them from Monochromon. Guilmon faced the Digimon and attacked.

"Pyro Sphere!" cried Guilmon, letting out his attack. The orb only bounced off Monochromon's tough shell.

"That shell will protect him from attacks." said Brandi.

"I need more power buddy" said Guilmon, looking over to Andrew. Andrew had no idea what to do.

Guilmon let out a few more useless attacks. Monochromon sent out his Volcanic Strike attack at the group. The attack formed a giant fire ball and shoot forward. They ducked in time to avoid the attack.

Andrew finally realized the one thing he had to do. He held out his Digivice. "Guilmon… Digivolve!" yelled Andrew. The Digivice began to glow, adding light to the already-bright cavern.

_Guilmon Digivolve to… Growlmon._

The light faded from the Digivice, showing Guilmon's new form. Growlmon was almost triple the size of Guilmon, with the same pattern of stripes and a long mane growing from the back of his head. He let out a loud roar that shook the cavern.

"Wow." said Brandi, looking up at the Digimon.

"Get away from my friends. Pyro Blaster!" said Growlmon, opening his mouth. A large red orb began to form shot forth and struck Monochromon, knocking the Digimon back against the wall. The cavern shook more as several large rocks fell on top of Monochromon. The danger gone, Growlmon returned to his Guilmon form and the group took off out of the room.

Brandi turned back and looked into the room, which was partially caved in. "Poor Monochromon" she said.

"Don't worry. His shell is very hard, he'll wake up later with nothing more than a headache." said Guilmon. They were startled by the sound of a howl. The group looked forward to see a figure approaching them. The figure was Albert, holding on to his glow crystal, the other two Digimon at his side. Salamon leapt into Brandi's arms.

"There you are. I looked for you." said Salamon. Brandi hugged her Digimon. "I'm so glad you're safe."

"Where were you guys and what was all that rumbling about?" asked Albert.

"Oh, Guilmon Digivolved and took out the Monochromon that was chasing us. I think we should go before we learn what else lives here." said Andrew.

"Yep and I'll Digivolve any time to protect my buddy. Can we leave now?" asked Guilmon. The group nodded and headed out of the cave. When they emerged, they were met by the other group.

"Ready to go guys?" asked Ann.

"Yeah. Let's go home" said Albert. The group found the nearest screen and left the Digiworld. They landed back in the real world with another thud.

"We should start putting pillows here." said TJ, getting up off the ground.

"We don't have to come here anymore I think." said Winona, closing her laptop.

"Why?" asked Cody.

"Because, I have a theory that we can enter the Digital World through any computer screen at any time. I'd like to try it sometime," she replied.

"Ok but can it wait until tomorrow? I'm hungry." Javi said. The group just laughed.

"We'll have to wait until Saturday. Tomorrow is the football game and we band people have to be there." said Albert.

"Yeah, I've already made plans for the game too," added Cody.

"I can go," said Winona.

"Not by yourself," Albert replied.

"I'll have Renamon with me." Winona added.

"Wait till Saturday, it'll be safer in numbers" said Andrew. Knowing that she could not fight the group on the issue and win, Winona sighed and followed the group as they returned to the school.


	14. Ch 14 What Crawls In The Night

_**CH. 14 What Crawls In The Night**_

Winona sat alone in her room with her laptop open on the Digiport screen. Viximon slept on her bed, comfortable. She looked at her clock. It was only 10:30 PM. The football game had to be over by now. Winona wanted to go to the Digital World and if her theory was right; she could just leave through her room. The only thing was that if the others found out, she'd be in trouble. Winona poked Viximon, having made up her mind.

"Let's go to the Digital World." said Winona with a smile.

Viximon let out a small yawn "But the others said to wait until tomorrow."

"Oh forget them, we can be in and be out before they notice. I'll even pick an area we've been to before." said Winona. Viximon leapt off of the bed.

"If that's what you want. Not for too long though." Viximon replied. Winona smiled and picked the forest region on her computer. She held out her Digivice "Digiport Open."

They were sucked into the computer and landed in the forest, Viximon changing forms to Renamon. The place was a bit different at night; the air was cooler and a gentle breeze blew through the trees. The two of them strolled through the forest, catching glimpses of the starry sky above.

"I'd don't see why the others won't come here at night," said Winona.

"They are still uncertain about this place. Let's not go too far into the forest. We don't know which Digimon reside here," said Renamon.

"You worry too much," Winona replied, continuing. The two of them walked deeper into the forest, the trees getting thicker and thicker. It was getting harder and harder to see the sky from where they were.

"Let's head back," said Renamon.

"But we just got here," said Winona.

Just then, the two of them heard something rustle up above in the trees. They looked up. Renamon grabbed Winona and leapt back as a Digimon appeared. The Digimon resembled a black-bodied tarantula with an orange frill, a yellow mask, and, most ominously, a skull and crossbones on its back. Large fangs showed. Winona scanned the Digimon "Dokugumon, an insect type Digimon. Her attacks are Poison Cobweb to trap her enemies and then Venom Blast to destroy them." said Winona, closing her D-Dex.

Renamon leapt into the air "This'll hold her back. Diamond Storm!" The shards struck Dokugumon but had little effect.

"That only made her madder," said Winona nervously. The two of them took off running as fast as they could, Dokugumon following.

Albert had just gotten home from the football game. The events before the game and the game itself had tired Albert out. He entered his home and found that his dad was already asleep. Albert climbed the stairs quietly into his room and was greeted by his Digimon.

"Hey. How was the game?" asked Wanyamon.

"It was good. We won" smiled Albert, setting his bag onto the floor. He fell onto his bed and Wanyamon jumped right on top of him. Albert laughed and played with his Digimon for a bit. They were both interrupted by a beeping sound coming from Albert's bag.

Albert got up and picked up his bag, looking for the source of the noise. Finding it, he pulled out his D-Dex. It showed a map of the digital world, one square blinking in white. There was a purple dot on that location and it was moving quickly.

"Huh, this says that somebody opened a Digiport and is now… in… the… Winona," growled Albert. The purple-colored dot had given her away; their locations were always displayed in their colors when they were in the Digital World. Albert grabbed his cell phone and scrolled through the numbers. He tried calling the others, but most of them didn't pick up, presumably asleep. Albert finally reached somebody on his phone; Cody picked up on the second ring.

"Cody, man, am I glad I found you," said Albert in relief.

"Albert, what's up man?" asked Cody

"Where are you?" asked Albert.

"Still at the stadium, about to leave. Why?"

"Winona left into the Digital World by herself and is being chased by something," Albert replied.

"Thought we told her not to go. What's the plan?" asked Cody.

"Come over to my house and we'll go into the Digital World from here. I don't live too far from the school anyways, and see if you can find anybody else" said Albert.

"Ok man, be there soon." said Cody. They hung up and Albert went to his computer, pulling up the Digiport screen.

Winona and Renamon kept running deeper and deeper into the forest. Winona just ran as fast as she could while Renamon continued to attack the Digimon pursuing them, trying to slow it down. Winona stopped running when she realized that they were surrounded by webs. Dokugumon had chased them into her home.

"We're trapped." said Winona.

"See now why we need to stick with a group?" Renamon asked in exasperated annoyance. Dokugumon let out its Poison Cobweb attack. Renamon dodged it and retaliated with an attack of her own. Dokugumon let out another attack, trapping Renamon in a web. Winona ran over to her partner and tried to pull the web off, the many-legged Digimon creeping closer.

"Spiral Blow!" cried a voice suddenly, knocking Dokugumon back. Albert arrived, riding Gaogamon, closely followed by Michelle on Garurumon and Cody on Greymon.

"You guys came," said Winona in relief.

"Now do you see why you should wait for the group?" asked Albert. Garurumon cut the web around Renamon with his fangs.

"Where did that bug go to?" said Cody, scanning the area. A stream of webs shot forth, pinning Cody to a nearby tree.

"Cody!" yelled Greymon, but another web attack hit him too and he ended up stuck on the ground.

"Guys!" yelled Michelle. Garurumon leapt into the air and dodged an incoming web attack. He spotted Dokugumon and let out an attack. "Howling Blaster!" cried the Digimon. The beam missed. Garurumon was caught in another web while Michelle fell onto the ground. Albert and Gaogamon dodged a flurry of attacks from Dokugumon. Gaogamon let out another attack but also missed Dokugumon. The bug Digimon let out another attack, trapping Albert and Gaogamon in a web together. Winona stood alone with Renamon. She held out her Digivice.

"Time to help out for once. Renamon, Digivolve!" yelled Winona. The Digivice let out a bright light as Renamon Digivolved.

_Renamon Digivolve to… Kyubimon._

Kyubimon was about the same size as both Gaogamon and Garurumon. She had yellow fur and white fur, stood on all four legs and had nine tails. A red and white bow was around her neck, blue flames surrounding her legs and the tip of each tail.

Kyubimon leapt into the air as the flames began to grow. "Let's get rid of these webs. Fox Tail Inferno!" The flames on her tails began to grow, shot off, and burned the webs. The others were freed as the webs dissipated. Kyubimon let out the attack again, striking Dokugumon. The Digimon, having had enough, disappeared into the forest.

Kyubimon reverted back to Renamon "I am at your service whenever you call for me."

Winona smiled a bit. "Thanks Renamon."

"See why we tell you to wait until you're with a group?" said Albert, a bit angry.

"Yeah, I won't do it again," said Winona, ducking her head.

"Let's head home guys. I'm beat," said Cody. The group headed back home, dropping off Winona first.


	15. Ch 15 Digidestined

_**CH. 15 Digidestined**_

Only part of the team appeared the next day at the lake to enter the Digital World. Albert, Winona, Cody, Brandi, Andrew, and Ann showed up to meet.

"Where's everybody else?" asked Ann.

"Oh, TJ is stuck helping his dad at their ranch, Michelle is working at the hospital today, and Javi is at a mariachi concert that he has to perform in," replied Albert.

"Who goes and stays then?" asked Brandi.

"Me, Albert, you, and Ann can all go. Winona and Andrew can stay here." said Cody.

"Why do I have to stay?" asked Winona.

"You had your trip already," said Albert with a laugh.

"Fine, this area seems harmless," said Winona picking a region to travel to.

The group pulled out their Digivices and entered the Digital World, leaving Winona and Andrew behind. They landed in an area but were surprised to find the ground unusually soft. It felt like it was one big pillow, and the whole area was colored brightly. Cody knocked on a few objects and found them to be rather squishy.

"Ok… this is odd…" said Cody.

"This is fun," said Ann, bouncing up and down on the soft ground.

"What's that over there?" asked Gaomon, pointing into the distance. Hawkmon flew further out and then returned.

"It looks like there are nests over there," said Hawkmon, landing next to Ann.

"Nests?" Albert repeated. The group headed to where the nests were. The area they reached looked like somebody spilt a box of blocks over. The blocks towered overhead and were brightly colored, just like the ground. Each nest held a single egg, and looked like a cradle. Each egg was brightly colored and nestled with care in its nest.

"Oh, they're Digieggs," said Agumon.

"Digieggs?" said the group together.

"Yes, Digimon are hatched from eggs," said Salamon.

"They then Digivolve from there to the in-training stage to the rookie stage to the champion stage and so on," said Gaomon.

Brandi picked an egg and held it in her arms. "It's so cute," A loud roar startled the group as a giant figure leapt forth to confront them. The tan Digimon that had appeared stood on two legs and had a massive physic. It had black pants, a yellow mane and had on a tribal necklace. Cody opened his D-Dex and scanned the Digimon. "Leomon, a beast type Digimon, his Fist of the Beast King can knock anybody out."

"What are you doing here in the Village of Beginning?" roared the Digimon.

"Village of Beginning… What's that?" asked Ann.

"Don't play stupid. I know that you are here to destroy this place." said Leomon angrily.

"Destroy this place? Why would we do that? These Digimon are defenseless," replied Brandi.

"Don't lie to me. You came here to destroy this place. I'll crush you all, Fist of the Beast King!" yelled Leomon extending his fist. An aura of energy began to form around his palm and shot toward Brandi. Her Digivice began to glow as Salamon's form began to change.

_Salamon Digivolve to… Gatomon_

The new Digivolved form of Salamon struck Leomon's fist, sending the attack up toward the sky.

Gatomon looked like a white cat with yellow gloves, purple stripes on her tail, purple ear tips, and a gold ring on her tail.

"Lightning claw!" she yelled, attacking Leomon. She hit his chest, knocking him back, and then landed gracefully in from of Brandi.. Leomon roared, causing the area to rumble for a few seconds.

"Let's take this guy out Agumon," said Cody, holding his Digivice in his hand.

"You can't attack here. You'll be putting the eggs in danger," said Albert, grasping his Digivice.

"Pyro Sphere!"

"Blue Blaster!"

"Diamond Storm!"

The three attacks struck Leomon on his back. The group turned to see TJ, Michelle, Javi, Winona, and Andrew all standing before them holding onto their Digivices.

"Got through early so I thought I'd come lend you guys a hand," said TJ.

"Can't let you all have all the fun," smiled Michelle.

"Concert got canceled," Javi added with a grin on his face.

"We found a safe place for the laptop, so we're fine," Winona told the group.

The newly-arrived group all held their Digivices in their hands. Leomon looked around and appeared to be shocked. "If you have those then you children must be the Digidestined," he said.

"Digidestined?" said Andrew in confusion.

"It means that you children were selected to save our world from darkness. I am sorry if I attacked you but you see, I am the protector of this place. It is the one single place in the whole Digital World where Digimon are born." said Leomon.

"Let me explain," said Leomon, taking a seat upon the ground. The group did the same and sat with Leomon, forming a circle. Gatomon returned to her rookie form and leapt into Brandi's lap.

"You children were selected to save our world from the darkness that threatens to take over it. Your Digivices are meant to help your partner Digimon move to the next level and stand before any enemy that may try to stop you," said Leomon.

"Why us though?" asked Cody.

"That I cannot say but there is a reason. I can assure you of this," said Leomon.

"What is all this stuff on the darkness and evil? What are we suppose to fight?" asked Winona.

"Again, I cannot say but I know of a place where you can go to find out. There is a place called The Data Library where you can learn of this and also learn more about your selection in the Digiworld. There you will meet a friend of mine, Wizardmon, who will help you with this," said Leomon.

"Ok then, if we go to this library, we'll learn more about the Digital world." said TJ slowly.

"Yes. You will find it not too far from here but a spell has been cast upon the library to hide it from evil Digimon who hope to use its information for their own sick desires. Allow me to find this place and I will inform you when I find its location," said Leomon. He rose up and took off in search of the library.

The group sat there still, spellbound to learn that they did have a purpose to coming to this world.

"What do we do?" asked Javi.

"Wait till Leomon finds that library," said Albert.

"I think we should head back and rest up a bit. Who knows what's going to happen when we visit this place again," said TJ. The group nodded and arose to return to their world.

"_HAHAHA. So Leomon is off trying to find The Data Library. Better yet he's going to bring all the Digidestined with him… I think I should introduce myself then and obliterate them all. HAHAHA"_


	16. Ch 16 Lazy Afternoon

_**CH. 16 Lazy Afternoon**_

The sun was high in the sky on this sunny Sunday afternoon. TJ was back at his ranch checking the barn to see if the animals were doing alright. Veemon followed behind him, looking in wonder at the animals.

"So these are the creatures that inhabit you world. TJ, are you sure I can stay in this form and not be caught? I can De-Digivolve if you want me to," Veemon inquired

"It's alright, it's just you, me, and the animals here and I don't think they'll blow your secret," said TJ, laughing.

"If you insist then," said Veemon, following him. They continued to walk around the barn and moved outside to check the pens and see how the animals were doing. Veemon looked over to one large animal that was in a pen by itself, warily watching the two. "What's that?" asked Veemon.

"Oh him. That's Bruno the bull. He has a small issue with rage," said TJ, looking over at the bull. Veemon approached the massive animal. "He don't look so tough," said Veemon, crossing his arms. The bull let out a bellow and knocked Veemon back onto the ground. TJ laughed.

"I say he likes you" said TJ, still laughing at the two.

"If this guy even tries to hurt you, I'll knock him out hard," Veemon stated, getting up off the ground.

"I'll protect any of my friends till the end," TJ replied, heading back to the barn with Veemon. TJ felt his side and thought to himself. 'Even if it means putting my life in danger.'

Music played while Brandi stood on the stage, singing her heart out. The lights from the rafters above shined on her and her alone. She showed no signs of nervousness while on stage, even though she had an audience. Michelle sat in the crowd, watching.

Brandi always sang for her church every Sunday afternoon during mass. Salamon and Tsunomon were sitting up above in the rafters, also watching Brandi's performance.

"Wow, she has a great voice," said Tsunomon.

"Yep, she's always singing," Salamon replied.

"I wish my partner could sing like that."

"Michelle can't sing? I thought she was in choir with Brandi," said Salamon in confusion.

"Yeah, she can but not that great or loud. If only she had a bit more confidence in herself…." He replied as Brandi finished and took a bow. The church began to let out, the service over for the evening. The two Digimon began to hop down to meet their partners.

Winona sat in her room playing video games, Viximon sleeping on her bed again. The two were quite content with what they were doing with their afternoon off. Winona put down her controller and checked her computer to see if anything new had come up.

"Nothing from Leomon yet," sighed Winona, checking the Digital world map. A few more areas were open to the group since they had first begun their trips to and from the Digital World.

Winona smiled a bit and then turned to Viximon "Too bad we can't go to the Digital World…."

Viximon had just woken up, and she glared at Winona, stating firmly, "NO."

Winona sunk back into her chair. "Nobody ever wants to do anything fun."

She went back to playing the game, and her Digital partner returned to her nap. The cat, which had until this point in time been wary of Viximon, finally deemed it safe to curl up with her.

Ann and Poromon were out at the lake enjoying the afternoon. Ann had brought her camera and was taking pictures of the area. The two walked all around the edge of the lake, enjoying the peace.

"It's hard to believe everything that we have gone through so far," said Ann. Poromon landed on Ann's head.

"Yep but one thing good has come from all of this," Poromon replied.

"And that is?" questioned Ann with a smile.

"We would have never met if you were never chosen to be my partner."

"That's true" said Ann, taking a picture of the two together.

Javi practiced on his trumpet while Hopmon jumped in rhythm with the music. As Javi stopped, putting down his trumpet, Hopmon lost his beat.

"Awww… Why did you stop?" asked Hopmon.

"I think I've had enough practice for the day," said Javi, beginning to put his trumpet into his case.

"Come on, just one more song. Please?" Hopmon pleaded, giving Javi puppy eyes.

Javi stopped, considering and ended up pulling his trumpet back out from its case.

"Well… for you, just one more song," said, Javi smiling. He continued playing, enjoying his Digimon's happiness.

Gigimon waited impatiently for Andrew to return to his room, going still when he heard the door beginning to open. Andrew entered the room, hiding something behind his back.

He brought the object forward, revealing a plate with food piled high. Gigimon's eyes opened wide and he dug into the food happily. Andrew crouched next to his partner and smiled.

"I guess you were hungry."

"Yep, I haven't eaten anything in a while. My tummy was beginning to rumble," said Gigimon, still digging into his food. Andrew laughed a bit, watching. The little red Digimon finished eating and hopped onto Andrew's bed to take a nap.

"Wake me up when I can eat again," yawned out Gigimon, rapidly falling asleep.

"Why did I have to get the Digimon with the black hole for a stomach?" Andrew sighed. The light from the sun was fading as the fall evening approached.

Cody and Koromon were completely passed out on his bed. The two couldn't be awakened for anything….

Cody rolled over in his sleep, crushing Koromon. The Digimon quickly wiggled and bounced around, trying to get Cody off of him.

"Blhhhh…what's up?" said Cody, still groggy from his slumber.

"You rolled over on me while you were sleeping," Koromon replied.

"Get you own bed then," retorted Cody. The two turned away from each other, laughing, calming down after a few minutes.

"We were made for each other," said Cody, turning back to his partner.

"Yep," said Koromon as he jumped onto Cody.

"That bump on the head doesn't hurt still does it?" asked Koromon with a little concern in his eyes.

"Naw, I get hit in the head all the time. I'd do anything to protect my friends, even take a hit like that."

"Don't scare me like that again though," said Koromon, still looking worried.

"Ok I won't. I promise to think before I do stuff," laughed Cody. Outside the window, the sun had completely settled below the horizon, revealing the stars.

It was dark all around. The darkness seemed to grow and grow, swallowing all available light. A figure ran around and around, trying blindly to escape from the blackness, but could not find any sign of light. The figure looked up into the endless darkness to seen nine points of light. Each glowed with a different color from the group's Digivices. The lights were swallowed up one by one into the darkness till only a white light was left. "Please, don't leave me!" yelled a voice.

Albert awoke from his sleep in a cold sweat. He breathed heavily, the dream feeling too real. Wanyamon Digivolved the second he heard Albert yell out and stood at the ready to attack; the room was dark with the exception of the moonlight coming in from the window.

"You ok Albert? You were talking in you sleep again," asked Gaomon, letting his guard down. The blue Digimon took a seat by Albert on his bed.

"It's nothing," said Albert, looking distractedly into the darkness of his room.

"It's not nothing, this has been going on ever since you came back from the Digital World for the first time. Why don't you tell me what's wrong? I'm your partner and my job is to protect you from anything that may bring you harm."

Albert hugged his Digimon and wouldn't let go.

"Gaomon… You won't leave me right?" said Albert, as if he was very sad.

"Nope I would never leave you, not for anything in either of the worlds," Gaomon replied, a bit confused by Albert's statement.

Albert lay back down onto his bed, Gaomon joining him.

"You promise?"

"Promise," as they both drifted off to sleep.


	17. Ch 17 The Data Library

_**CH. 17 The Data Library**_

That week dragged on and on for the Digidestined. Winona constantly checked her laptop, hoping that Leomon had found the Data Library.

Albert seemed tired all the time now. The group asked him every day if anything was wrong and all he'd ever say was that he just wasn't sleeping right.

It was at the end of the week on Friday night that Winona got an email. She opened it with excitement and read it out loud to herself and Viximon.

"Digidestined, I have found the Data Library within the Digital World. Wizardmon has found some information that will help you children with your quest. I expect you here in the morning to enter the library. Return to the Village of Beginnings and I'll take you there."

Winona sat back into her chair. She pulled out her cell and began calling the others immediately.

The next morning, all the Digidestined met at the lake with their Digital partners. They greeted each other in the usual manner, and Winona prepared the Digital Gate.

"So Leomon found the Data Library then?" yawned Javi.

"Looks like it," said Winona, finishing with her laptop. The group all held out their Digivices to the screen. "Digiport open!" they yelled in unison.

The group was once again dumped into the Digital World but not as hard as they usually were. The soft ground in the Village of Beginning broke their fall.

"Why can't all areas be like this? Nice and soft," said TJ, getting up off the ground.

"Cause then it wouldn't be fun," said Veemon with a smile. The group headed over to the village. They were greeted by Leomon and several of the baby Digimon. The little Digimon looked like small colored blobs of goo, but most were cute none the less.

"Are you children ready?" asked Leomon.

"Yeah, take us to the Data Library, please," said Cody. Leomon nodded and they began their trip. The distance they had to travel meant that the group would have to trek most of the day. The majority of the group walked with Leomon and told stories of their adventures. Albert, however, seemed more distant from them than normal. Gaomon would just look over at his partner and sigh. The group stopped for a break by a small stream after several hours of travel.

"How much further?" asked Ann.

"Not much. We are almost there. Wizardmon has everything ready for when you children arrive later on today." said Leomon, getting up off the ground. "Let's head on out," he said, and the group got up, stretching and getting ready to continue. Gaomon pulled Cody and TJ with their partners aside for a moment.

"Guys, I think we have a problem with Albert," said Gaomon.

"Yeah, he's not acting like himself," said TJ

"What's going on?" asked Cody.

"He's been having nightmares for the past couple of nights. He keeps crying out "Please don't leave me!" and the wakes up completely terrified." said Gaomon, staring at the ground.

"Why would he be scared of being alone? He has so many friends," questioned Veemon.

"Yeah. There isn't any reason to be afraid. He's got Cody here to protect him," said Agumon with pride.

"I think that there is something that he can sense that we can't," Gaomon replied.

"That could be possible." TJ mused.

"I was hoping that this trip would help find a reason," said Gaomon.

"We'll have to look for something while we're there. In the mean time don't worry about a thing Gaomon cause we'll look after him," Cody put in. Gaomon just smiled.

"You guys are gonna get left behind!" yelled Michelle; everyone else had moved off a distance already. The guys ran to try and catch up with the group.

The journey continued uneventfully as the team traveled further on. The group halted to see a massive open plain before them. Leomon walked forward and released a mighty roar. The ground shook as the library appeared from thin air. It resembled a circular castle with nine towers reaching into the sky as well as a massive central tower in the middle. Stained glass windows filled the sides of the library in a variety of colors.

"This is it children," said Leomon, stepping forward to the library. The Digidestined still stood and looked on with awe as they gazed at the building.

"This place never ceases to amaze me…" started Brandi. The group approached the entrance to the Data Library.

"This is where you children come in. Hold up your Digivices to the door," said Leomon. The group nodded and did as they were told. Each Digivice released a stream of light in the color of the corresponding color on the door; the doors slowly opened. The group looked in to see that the inside was just as impressive as the outside of the building. Rows and Rows of books were laid out before them.

"I'm in heaven," said Winona, trying to approach one set of books but was stopped when Renamon pulled back on the collar of her vest. The group laughed and headed deeper into the library.

"So when are we going to meet Wizardmon?" asked Andrew.

"Soon, he is waiting for us in the center of the library. That is where you will find the stair case into the Grand Hall of this building where the true secrets of the Digital World lay hidden," explained Leomon as he led the group farther into the library.

They passed rows and rows of books and shelves on their way to the center of the library. Nine stained glass murals were on the ceiling, showing an image of all the Digimon partners of the team against the back drop of their partners color. There before them laid a grand spiral stair case that lead up into the next floor of the library. Leomon stopped and pointed upwards.

"That is where you all must go. I shall wait here. Wizardmon is expecting you up on the next level." said Leomon, bringing his hand to his side. The group nodded and went up the stair case one by one.

When they reached the top of the staircase, they found the room that Leomon spoke of. It was a circular place, with white walls and no books or anything in visible. The nine stained glass windows surrounded the edges of the wall, the light from each window falling upon the floor. The floor had an intricate mural inscribed onto its surface, with nine symbols resembling those on the teams' backs and on their Digivices.

"Step on to your crest," said a voice.

"What was that?" asked Ann, looking around the room.

"Step on to your crest," repeated the voice.

"Let's just humor it," said Winona, stepping onto her crest, which was bathed in a purple light. The group repeated the same process and stepped onto their crests. The room shook a bit and the entrance was sealed off. A Digimon gently floated into the midst of the group. He wore a blue cloak with many odd symbols on it, a blue witch's hat and held a golden staff with a sun on one tip.

"I am Wizardmon. Please allow me to explain your destiny," the mysterious Digimon said.


	18. Ch 18 Power Of The Digidestined

_**CH. 18 Power Of The Digidestined**_

"Destiny?" asked Cody, looking oddly at Wizardmon.

"Yes, you nine were selected to be the heroes of our world. The ones who would purge this world from the darkness that tries to cover it. However, you cannot face this force and expect to win at your current level," Wizardmon answered.

"Our current level? Oh, you mean like how are Digimon can Digivolve into a champion form?" Winona asked.

"Yes, that is what I mean. This power alone is not enough. You need more power," the Digimon replied.

"More power… how are we going to get that?" asked Michelle.

"B y channeling the power stored within yourselves. Each of you Digidestined has an essence of strength deep within you. Only by harnessing this power will you hope to achieve this new energy."

"Is this why we were chosen to be Digidestined?" asked Andrew.

"Yes, this power is strongest in you all than in anybody else. There is one trait that each of you has that is stronger than anybody else who has it," said Wizardmon.

"What are our traits then?" asked Brandi.

"Valor, Compassion, Faith, Harmony, Affection, Wisdom, Honesty, Trust, and Purity," Wizardmon replied.

"All of those are already in each one of us," said TJ.

Wizardmon laughed "No, though these traits are in everybody, each of you can harness these traits more easily than the others. I have something that will help with the channeling of these energies," said Wizardmon, raising his staff into the air. A bright light appeared and revealed a small wooden box with golden edges. It slowly floated into Wizardmon's hand.

"In this box are your tags, for each tag, there is a crest to accompany it. I have only your tags currently. The crests have been scattered throughout the Digital World but your tag will glow when your crest is near. Allow me to present each of you with your tag," he said, pulling out the first tag. The tag was gold in color and shaped in the form of an octagon but with the slanted corners stretched. There was a red jewel on the top of the tag with a glass slot on the face of the crest that showed that the crest and tag had been joined together. Wizardmon approached Cody with the tag in hand.

"To the leader of the Digidestined, the one who is ready to defend those who cannot and has a courageous heart. To you Cody, the tag meant for the Crest of Valor." Wizardmon placed the tag around Cody's neck. Cody held the tag in his palm.

"Crest of Valor…" said Cody.

"I always knew you were the bravest one here," said Agumon.

"To the one whose heart is meant to help others, the one who will always help those in need. To you Michelle, the tag for the Crest of Compassion," said Wizardmon, pulling out a tag with an orange jewel. He placed it around Michelle's neck.

"I think it suits me," said Michelle.

"It sure does, you picked the right line of work," Gabumon put in.

"To the one who is always looking for the light in even the darkest of situations, the one who will always remain positive no matter what happens and has a heart filled with hope. To you Ann, the tag for the Crest of Faith," said Wizardmon as he placed the yellow tag around Ann's neck.

"I guess I always look at things on the light side," said Ann with a smile.

"Yep, as far as I have known you, you never see things the dark way," said Hawkmon.

"To the one who has balance in their life no matter what chaos may ensue, the one who maintains and acts with both his heart and mind as one. To you Javi, the tag for the Crest of Harmony," said Wizardmon as he placed the green gem tag around Javi's neck.

"Guess having harmony doesn't always deal with music," laughed Javi.

"Nope, you have both types of harmony," said Monodramon.

"To the one who cares for every living creature, the one who never lets those who feel alone or scared feel sorrow and has a heart filled with love. To you Brandi, the tag for the Crest of Affection," as he placed a tag with a blue jewel around Brandi's neck.

"It's true, I love every living creature," smiled Brandi.

"Yep, that's true" said Salamon with a smile.

"To the one who is knowledgeable in many fields, the one who uses their mind to figure a problem out without putting others in danger and whose heart and mind act as a single unit. To you Winona, the tag for the Crest of Wisdom," said Wizardmon as he placed the tag with a purple gem on Winona's neck.

"I am? Really?" Winona said, confused.

"I think the crest suits you," said Renamon.

"To the one who can never tell a lie, the one who will always use the truth to help those in need of it and whose heart will never lead him to lie. To you Andrew, the tag for the Crest of Honesty," said Wizardmon as he placed a tag with a grey jewel around Andrew's neck.

"I guess I can never lie," Andrew mused.

"Yep you're just like me," Guilmon added.

"To the one who is willing to help anybody, the one who will under no circumstances tread back on his word and will never betray his own heart or the hearts of others. To you TJ, the tag for the Crest of Trust," said Wizardmon as he placed a tag with a teal jewel on TJ's neck.

"It's true, anybody can come to me and I'll help them."

"Yep, you would never stab anybody in the back," said Veemon.

"Finally, this crest is not to be taken lightly. The power of this crest and tag can be great but also be a burden. To the one who is pure of both mind and soul, the one who will always be in the light and never fall to darkness. To you Albert, the tag for the Crest of Purity," said Wizardmon as he finished placing the tag around Albert's neck. The tag bore a white jewel that sparkled in the light.

"One who will never fall to darkness…" said Albert.

"You are the only one with a pure heart that I can think of," said Gaomon.

"Those are the tags that will help aid you to find your crests. You next mission will be to find each crest. Once they all have been found, then you will have the power to face the darkness."

"Where do we go… ah…" said Javi as the building began to shake. There was a loud crashing sound from down below. The path to the lower floor opened up once more.

"Something is amiss," Wizardmon said darkly.

"Let's check it out guys," said Cody, rushing down the stair case.

"Man did they get his crest right?" asked Winona as the group followed Cody to the lower level, Wizardmon trailing behind.


	19. Ch 19 The Master Of Darkness

_**CH. 19 The Master of Darkness**_

The downstairs level was in shambles. Most of the shelves were totally destroyed. Wizardmon stopped and looked on in horror of the scene.

"Who would do such a thing?" asked Brandi.

"What happened to Leomon?" added Michelle.

There was another crash and a group of Digimon appeared resembling ghosts. Their eyes glowed in a faint yellow and their grisly teeth were showing. The all laughed in an eerie tone as the charged forward to the group. The girls all screamed at once while the guys stood ready.

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

The group attacked the Digimon and sent them back against one of the walls. Andrew scanned the Digimon and received their data. "Bakemon, a ghost type Digimon, uses an attack called Zombie Claw to crush his enemies. There are ghost type Digimon?"

"Let's find Leomon guys, this can't be good," said Cody. Another group of Bakemon appeared and charged for them.

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

The trio attacked the Digimon and sent them flying across the room. The Bakemon kept coming and coming toward the Digidestined.

"There are too many of them!" cried TJ.

"We must exit this place and locate Leomon," said Wizardmon, leading the group to the exit of the building. They followed as the Digimon covered their retreat.

Cody turned to see Albert frozen on the staircase, unable to move. Albert's body kept shaking and shaking as if he were freezing. Cody ran up to him and started tugging on his shoulder while Gaomon tried pushing Albert.

"We have to go! Albert?" said Cody but Albert didn't respond. He just sat there, frozen.

"Snap out of it Albert!" yelled Cody, but Albert just placed his hands on his head.

"It's here. The darkness form my dream, it's here!" cried Albert as he fell to his knees, holding his head.

"Albert. Snap out of it. Nothing is here," Cody said, trying to reach his friend.

"We need to get out of here," said Agumon, looking nervously around as the Bakemon approached.

"Not without Albert," Cody replied, still trying to get Albert to move.

"Snap out of it Albert. I won't let anything hurt you and I won't leave you. I promised, remember?" said Gaomon.

"Were not going to let anything get you, you'll be safe as long as I'm around," Cody added.

"As long as the team is together, nothing will happen," said Agumon.

"I promised that I'll protect you." said Gaomon.

"Us too!" said Cody and Agumon together.

Another group of Bakemon appeared and went in for an attack.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

The two Digimon sent the ghost Digimon back against the walls of the library with their powerful attacks. They stood tall before the creatures. Albert began to stir.

"Let's get out of here. I can still feel the darkness but it's a heck of a lot better than standing here," said Albert, still shivering.

"That's the spirit." The pair headed for the exit of the library and reached the others. Outside, things were in no better shape than the library. Most of the surrounding forest was totally destroyed. The sky had gone from a bright blue to a deep grey, and the clouds seemed to swirl overhead.

"There you guys are," said TJ, turning to see the two approaching from behind.

"Had a little snag," smiled Cody.

The group was surrounded by Bakemon. Another Digimon appeared before the group, already engaged in combat with Leomon. The green Digimon had dirty, white hair, carried a bone club, and was covered in warts. Brandi scanned the Digimon with her D-Dex in disgust. "That thing is Ogrermon, a virus Digimon. He fights using Pummel Whack attack."

"Man that thing is hideous," said Ann, sticking her tongue out.

Ogermon snarled at the group. "You brats are next after this pest."

"If you can get to them! Fist of the Beat King!" cried Leomon.

"Pummel Whack!" yelled Ogrermon, thrusting his fist forward. A dark aura shot forth and struck the attack from Leomon, the attacks canceling each other out.

"Let's help out guys," said Cody. The group nodded as they prepared for an attack.

Suddenly, the whole area began to shake fiercely. The clouds overhead grew darker and darker, and a spiral pattern began to open up as another Digimon floated down to the earth. This Digimon was almost triple the size of a human. It had blood-red wings with black trim, a pale body, and a set of black pants. His mask resembled that of a devil, and he had wickedly long claws. Albert began to shiver more violently as the Digimon touched onto the ground. The dark Digimon bowed before this creature.

"HAHAHA! So, you're the Digidestined that have come to stop me," laughed the Digimon menacingly. TJ scanned the Digimon with his D-Dex. "NeoDevimon, a fallen angel Digimon. His attacks are meant to break his opponents both physically and mentally."

"Now that I have seen you all, I can crush you all! Stun Claw!" yelled NeoDevimon, extending his claws. They struck each of the Digidestined's Digimon, sending them back to their rookie forms. The group ran to their partners' aid.

"Speak to me Renamon," said Winona, shaking her Digimon.

"Gaomon, wake up!" said Albert, holding his partner in his arms.

"Come on Veemon, get up," TJ pleaded.

"Guilmon, speak to me!"

"HAHAHA! You partners are weak. Allow me to get rid of them for you," said NeoDevimon, reaching for the group.

Leomon leapt into the air and struck NeoDevimon's arm away from the group. "You won't lay a finger on them as long as I'm here."

"Ah Leomon, I have heard so much about you. You seem to know much about this world and these brats. You'll be helpful to my plans. Bakemon, you know what to do," laughed the Dark Digimon.

The Bakemon surrounded Leomon and attacked all at once, their dark blue claws snaking out from beneath their cloaks to overwhelm him. The Bakemon lifted a now unconscious Leomon off the ground. NeoDevimon reached one of his claws into the air, creating a portal. The Bakemon lifted Leomon through the gate, Ogrermon following.

"Leomon!" cried the group as one. Their shout brought attention to them again. All were defenseless, holding their Digimon partner close.

"Now to get rid of you brats," said NeoDevimon, reaching in for an attack.

"Magical Game!" yelled Wizardmon, lifting his staff into the air. A blue streak of light shot off into the air, blinding NeoDevimon. The group closed their eyes and when they reopened them, they were back in the Village of Beginnings.

"How'd we get here?" asked Javi.

"My spell teleported us here. Your main objective as of now is to find each of your crests. Once they are all found, then you may have a chance to defeat NeoDevimon once and for all. For now though, you must return to your world and recover," Wizardmon replied.

"What about Leomon?" asked Winona, worried.

"He is strong and he'll be fine. The most you can do for him is finding your crests."

"What about the village? Without Leomon, who will protect it?" asked Ann.

"I will use my power to conceal the village from harm just like the Library. Please children, go back to you world. I will keep in touch and assist you in any way I can," said Wizardmon.

"We'd better go then. Not much we can do with our partners injured this bad," said Cody. The group had no choice; they reluctantly left the Digital World to regroup.


	20. Ch 20 Fire and Flame

_**CH. 20 Fire and Flame**_

"_Where is the prisoner, my loyal servant?" asked NeoDevimon from atop his throne._

"_Chained in the dungeons as you requested. Shall I destroy him my lord?" asked Ogermon._

"_No, we may be able to use him. The Digidestined will return to save their friend one day. Order the troops to stand guard at the locations I have given them. It is at those locations that the Digidestined will be heading to find their crests. I want those brats destroyed."_

"_They will be my lord."_

The group had returned safety of their world and were treating their Digimon partners' wounds.

"Any ideas on what to do now?" asked Cody, holding Koromon in his arms.

"Nope. NeoDevimon is gonna be after us all the time now," said Brandi with a bit of despair.

"We can't give up. We'll beat NeoDevimon and save Leomon, right DemiVeemon?" TJ put in optimistically.

"Yep. NeoDevimon won't know what hit him when we're done," said DemiVeemon with pride.

Winona was typing on her laptop when a message appeared "Huh? Guys I got something."

"What?" asked Albert.

"It's a message I think. Hold on, I'll read it. 'Dear Digidestined, I have a gift for you. I have found several maps of the Digital world and will use their data to update your maps plus give you the proper names to each location. Also, I believe that when you children are ready you should head to one location called the Rumble Volcanoes. A crest is located there and there is a good chance that it belongs to Cody. Good Luck.' That's the end of the message," said Winona, closing her laptop.

"Ok then. We'll head there tomorrow after we've gotten some rest." said Cody. The group nodded, agreeing.

The next day at school seemed to drag on forever. The afterschool practices were no better as time seemed to go even slower during each practice. Winona was already by the lake when Cody, TJ, Albert, and Michelle showed up and were greeted by their partners.

"Is this it?" asked Winona, staring at the group.

"Well Brandi has something for church to do today and she can't get out of it," Michelle replied.

"The brass sections were held back today so Javi and Andrew are stuck there. Ann is coming but she said that she'd watch the laptop this time and for us to go on ahead," Albert added.

Winona found the Rumble Volcanoes location on her laptop and readied the Digiport. The group held out their Digivices. "Digiport open!" yelled Cody. The group was sucked through the screen and dumped onto a humid mountain region coved in grey rocks, dark smoke curling up. They weren't even in the volcanoes and sweat was running down their bodies.

"Maybe I should have stayed behind…" said Winona, wiping the sweat off her brow.

"Anything from your crest?" asked TJ, looking over to Cody. Cody pulled out his tag from beneath his shirt and held it in his palm.

"Nope nothing yet. Maybe when we get closer the crest, the tag will react to something."

"If it's this hot out here, I'd hate to feel the inside of one of those volcanoes," said Agumon.

"We got no choice but to check them out. That big one looks so promising," said Albert sarcastically as he pointed to the largest mountain in the distance.

"Let's go then and get this over with," said Michelle. The group pressed onward to the mountain in the distance. After a bit, they reached the base of the mountain to find a cave leading into its depths. An eerie red glow could be seen from inside.

"Let me and TJ go first," said Veemon, leading the group.

"I think me and Agumon should do it," said Cody, holding his tag. The tag was glowing red in short pulses in his palm.

Cody and Agumon lead the team deep within the volcano. The conditions within were worse than the outside area. The air was so humid that it was like walking straight into a sauna. They were surprised to find one area completely open. A platform made out of rock was held up by pillars of stone below, with a large pool of lava bubbling below the platform. The group ventured forth onto it.

"This must be the center of the volcano" said Gabumon, looking up. Indeed, there was an opening in the top of the cavern, allowing all the smoke to escape.

"Where is that crest?" asked Cody, looking around the room. The pulses from the crest were getting stronger and stronger now.

"Has to be close by…" said Gaomon as he looked at the crest.

"Guys, is it just me or is it getting hotter in here?" Michelle asked, fanning herself with her hand.

Right after she said that, the ground rumbled for a few moments, and a Digimon appeared from the lava. It was human-esque, engulfed by flames. The Digimon had blue eyes that pierce the red flames. The Digimon laughed when he saw the group. "So you are the brats that NeoDevimon wants me to fry. Excellent!"

Albert scanned the Digimon with his D-Dex… "Meramon, a fire type Digimon, he can withstand intense heat and attacks with his Roaring Fire attack."

"Time to cook you kids. Roaring Flame!" yelled Meramon as he out stretched his arms. Flames shot forth at the group.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

"Take him out guys," said Cody.

"Nova Blast!" cried Greymon, attacking the Digimon with his fireball. The fire ball was only absorbed by Meramon's flame body.

"Ok, that didn't work, so I can't attack him with my attack then either," growled Veedramon.

"Neither can we," Winona and Kyubimon added.

"Howling Blaster!" barked Garurumon as a stream of blue energy shot forth, striking Meramon, who was knocked into the lava below.

"That did it," said Michelle, too soon… Meramon leapt from the pool of lava and laughed. "I'm made of fire. Your puny attacks won't hurt me."

"Spiral Blow!" yelled Gaogamon as the cyclone engulfed Meramon. The flame on Meramon's body were dispersed then reignited.

"Guys attack when I do!" instructed Albert. "Do that again Gaogamon."

"Spiral blow!" Gaogamon repeated the attack. The flames were once again dispersed as Meramon was lifted into the air.

"Nova Blast"

"V-Nova Blast"

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

"Howling Blaster!"

The attacks struck Meramon simultaneously, destroying the Digimon. The few bits of data from Meramon could be seen floating into the sky above. The group cheered over their victory as their Digimon reverted back to their rookie forms. The celebration ended when the room began to shake and a small altar emerged from beneath the lava. Cody's crest was now glowing a solid, red color. Cody and Agumon approached the altar slowly.

The altar had a picture of Greymon and another Digimon behind him. The marks on the other Digimon made it hard to recognize. A red plate was shining on the center of the altar. Cody held out his tag, causing the plate to glow. It began to shine in a bright red and floated slowly to Cody's tag. It slowly changed forms and made a smaller plate about the size of the glass plate on the tag. The Crest now entered the tag and stopped, causing the tag to flash for a second, signifying that the Tag and Crest were united.

"Yes, I got my Crest!" said Cody, holding up his tag and crest in triumph. The crest mimicked the symbol on Cody's back. The symbol appeared to look like a red sun. Cody returned the tag and Crest to his neck and wore the pair on the outside of his shirt with pride.

"That's one down, eight to go," said Michelle with a smile. The group congratulated Cody, and exited the volcano to return to the real world.


	21. Ch 21 On Ice

_**CH. 21On Ice**_

Fall was in full swing at Lake View. The trees had now changed colors, displaying orange, red and yellow leaves. If the leaves weren't on the trees, they were littering the ground. A few of the Digidestined soon met at the lake. Michelle, Brandi, TJ, Cody, and Winona were the only ones to show up on this cool, autumn day. They were promptly greeted by their partners.

"Where are Albert, Ann, Javi, and Andrew?" asked TJ.

"Band practice, since they have competition soon, they are practicing a lot now," answered Cody.

"Guess it's just us then. Any idea where to head next?" questioned Brandi.

"I got another message from Wizardmon, he mentioned a place called the Ice Lake for us to check out," said Winona, setting up her laptop.

"Who's gonna stay here then?" asked Michelle.

"I will. Have some songs I have to practice for choir," replied Brandi. The others agreed and stood before the computer. "Digiport Open" said TJ. They were sucked through the screen in the usual manner, and landed in a forested region covered in snow.

"Hey check out or uniforms," said Cody, looking over his clothes. The vests had now changed to jackets and each person had on a pair of white gloves.

"Sure feels warm," said Michelle. The group traversed through the ice forest. Everything was covered in snow; the branches, the bushes, and the ground. The group was able to walk through it very easily thanks to their boots. Agumon and Veemon were shivering from the cold.

"It's not fair. How come you guys get to have fur?" asked Veemon.

"We're just lucky," laughed Gabumon. Renamon let out a small smirk. Michelle felt something warm on her chest then become cold again. The repeated process had Michelle pulling out her tag. The tag was slowly pulsing in a bright orange color.

"Guy, I think my crest is near." She held up her tag.

"I wonder where, though," Winona mused, looking at the tag. They group ventured forward. Each step had the tag glowing brighter and brighter.

"It's somewhere close!" said Michelle with excitement.

"Huh, I wonder whe.." started Cody, but before he could finish, he had fallen to the ground. The group stopped. TJ stopped and inspected the ground.

"Huh… It's made of ice. Looks like we've reached the Ice Lake."

"You could have noticed that earlier," said Cody as he got back up. The other members of the group slowly walked onto the ice. Most of the Digimon could easily walk upon the frozen surface.

"This is fun," said Michelle.

"Speak for yourself," Winona replied, struggling to remain standing up. The guys were able to stand after a little practice.

"I wonder where my crest is…"

"It has to be close, the tag is almost a solid color," said Gabumon, pointing to the tag.

"So you are the brats who destroyed my brother. You're gonna pay for that…." said an eerie voice.

"Who's there?" asked Cody.

A blue Digimon sprung forth from beneath the ice. The Digimon resembled Meramon but was blue instead of orange, with dark blue eyes. Winona scanned the Digimon. "BlueMeramon, an ice type Digimon. He's a variant of Meramon and uses attacks like Cold Flame to freeze his opponents."

"So you now know my name. You brats have not only angered NeoDevimon greatly by standing up to his reign but have also angered me by destroying my brother. He was weaker than me though," said BlueMeramon.

"NeoDevimon's reign? Well, we have a message for him," said TJ.

"Yeah, he's gonna be dethroned soon," said Cody confidently.

"Release Leomon at once" said Gabumon.

"Yeah you big bullies" added Veemon.

"I'll present my master with Digidestined ice sculptures. Cold Flame!" laughed BlueMeramon as he stretched out his hand. Bright blue flames shot forth, striking the ice. They created several ice pillars on the surface.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Renamon Digivolved to... Kyubimon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

The Digimon stood before BlueMeramon, ready to attack. BlueMeramon just laughed and released another attack.

"Nova Blast!" cried Greymon, releasing a fire ball into the stream of flames. The flames were quickly dispersed.

"You can't have all the fun. V-Nova Blast!" said Veedramon, releasing another flame attack. The attack collided with BlueMeramon, sending him back onto the ice.

"You brats," growled the Digimon.

"Foxtail inferno!" said Kyubimon as she released a barrage of small blue flames upon BlueMeramon. The Digimon was totally outmatched by the flame attacks and punched through the Ice to escape into the freezing water below.

"Stay cool guys," said Cody.

"Oh ha-ha, very funny," said Winona sarcastically. The group examined the area.

"Maybe he gave up," suggested Michelle. Right before BlueMeramon broke through the ice and released another barrage of Cold Flame attacks.

"Maybe not," said Michelle, retracting her statement.

Garurumon easily ran across the frozen lake. He dodged every stream of flames. "This'll end it, Howling Blaster!" said Garurumon, releasing his stream of blue energy. The beam struck BlueMeramon and reduced him to small bits of data.

"That did it," said Cody as the remnants of BlueMeramon scattered into the sky. The Digimon reverted back to their rookie forms. Michelle's tag began to glow an even brighter orange till it remained solid. A small dot of light could be seen from below the ice. Michelle and Gabumon slowly approached this point, Michelle holding out her tag.

The ice below began to crack slowly as an orange plate slowly emerged from beneath the ice. It slowly shrank in size to fit within the glass plate on the tag. The tag let out one last pulse to signify that both the tag and crest had been joined together. Michelle examined her tag and crest. The symbol in the crest matched the symbol on the back of her jacket; a droplet of water with a curve below, resembling it dropping onto the surface of more water.

"I got my crest!" cheered Michelle.

"That's great. Two down, only seven more to go…" said Winona. The group looked over the crest and praised Michelle for a bit. They left the frozen lake with the new crest in hand to head back to the real world and tell the others of their success.


	22. Ch 22 Night Life

_**CH. 22 Night Life**_

"So… Tired…" said Javi as he, Ann, Albert, and Andrew all returned from band practice. The four of them had returned to the band hall afterwards and were just now leaving the building.

"Think of it like this. When competition is over, we can return to our normal lives," Albert replied. The four of them walked through the forest til they reached the lake where Brandi and Salamon were playing. The group was quickly met by their partners.

Brandi noticed their return "Hey guys. Band practice over?"

"Yeah, we're done for the day. Did the others go to the Digital World?" asked Andrew.

"Yeah, they left about a half hour ago." said Brandi. Albert looked over to the laptop and noticed a small envelope icon on the lower left side of the screen. Ann strolled over and examined the laptop then clicked on the envelope.

"Not nice to go through other peoples things Ann," said Albert.

"Just checking to see that it's not anything important. Hey, it's a message from Wizardmon. It says that he has read over several pieces of data and learned that a crest is located in a place called Neon City," said Ann.

"I think I could manage a trip to the Digital World," said Javi pulling, out his Digivice. The others nodded and did the same. Albert put in the new location onto the screen.

"I'll stay here and wait for the others," said Brandi. "Digiport open!" said Ann, and the group was sucked through the computer screen.

They were dropped off in a city-like environment. There were many neon signs upon the buildings, letting out a wide array of colors. It was almost full dark; they could see the last colors of the sun fading off to their left.

"I like this place, it's so colorful," said Ann with a smile.

"This place is interesting," said Hawkmon as she flew overhead.

"Let's check this place out" said Andrew, walking forward through the city. The others followed. Every sings inch of the place was covered with neon lights. They outlined most of the buildings and signs and illuminated the city streets. The group seemed as if they were the only live creatures around at this time.

"I didn't think places like this could exist here," said Javi.

"There are many types of terrains in the Digital World," Guilmon said in reply to Javi.

"Each type of area can suit each type of Digimon. I have to admit though that a place like this is a rather odd find," said Gaomon.

"At least we learned that we can open another Digiport at once from the same computer," said Albert. The others nodded in agreement. Javi stopped for a second.

"Something wrong?" asked Monodramon, looking at him.

Javi pulled out his tag and held it up. The crest was giving off sets of faint pulses. "I think my crest is nearby."

"We should look for it." said Guilmon as he began to sniff the surrounding area.

"I don't think it'll be as easy as sniffing it out," Andrew told his Digimon. The group walked through the city streets while Javi held out his tag. The tag would give off faint pulses in some directions and stronger pulses in the other directions. They eventually ended up before a rather large building surrounded by a moat. Only one bridge connected the two bodies of land.

"I think this is it," said Javi, holding out his tag. The tag was giving off rapid pulses in a green color. They began to walk across the bridge, but were halted by a rather horrendous stench.

"What's that smell?" asked Ann, holding her nose.

A large Digimon began to climb up onto the bridge. The creature was a solid grey mass of goo. It had rather large teeth and big eyes. Many sets of what appeared to be black pipes were protruding from its back.

"I think that would be him," said Andrew, pulling out his D-Dex to scan the Digimon "It's Raremon, a ghost type Digimon. Ugh, it uses his Breath of Decay attack to suffocate his enemies."

"Man he stinks," said Gaomon as he tried to cover his nose.

Raremon took notice of the group and began its attack. "Breath of Decay!" he said, sending a ball of sludge toward the group, which they dodged.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

Raremon released another attack. "Spiral Blow!" cried Gaogamon destroying the attack.

"Let's see him defend himself from above. Blast Rings!" cried Aquilamon, sending a series of crimson colored rings at Raremon. The Digimon took the attack and released several more attacks of his own.

"Pyro Blaster!" called out Growlmon, sending a bright red orb crashing into Raremon and sending him back against the floor.

"I'll finish this, Striking Barrage!" said Strikedramon as blue flames surrounded his body. He let out a flurry of kicks and punched onto Raremon. Raremon could not retaliate in time from the attack and was destroyed into several bits of data. The Digimon, with their job done, returned to their rookie forms.

"That was a good job." said Andrew.

"We showed him," added Hawkmon .

Javi slowly approached the building up ahead with Monodramon by his side. Javi's tag began to glow a solid green color. They reached the building to find that there were no doors into the interior of the building. There was another neon sign with several music notes surrounding a solid green plate. The plate floated off the neon covered board and began to glow. It resized itself to match the size of the glass plate on Javi's tag. The crest slowly entered the tag and the tag released one more pulse as the two became one. The symbol on the crest was the same as the symbol on Javi's back. The crest had a Treble Cleft like design with two parallel lines going through it.

"I got my crest!" yelled Javi as the others approached.

"That's great," said Ann.

"That means that if the others found a crest also, there are only six more to find," calculated Albert.

"Let's head back home," suggested Andrew. The group headed back to the real world.

Michelle and her group returned first to the real world with a loud thud. Before they could recover from the landing, Javi and his group landed on top of them. Brandi looked at them and let out a laugh.

"That was too funny!"

"I tell you guys we need to put pillows here," groaned TJ.

"What were you guys doing in the Digital World?" asked Winona.

"Looking for another crest. Look," said Javi, pulling out his new found crest.

"We found my crest too." said Michelle, pulling out her crest.

"We're about a third of the way done with finding the crests," added Ann.

"I think we should go home and rest. We've had a long day," said Albert with a yawn. The others agreed as they returned home.

"What's that smell?" asked Cody.

"You don't want to know," replied Javi.


	23. Ch 23 The Night Forest

_**CH. 23 The Night Forest**_

A few more days had passed since the Digidestined's last trip to the Digital World. The weather had fully changed as they were now in mid- fall. The air was much cooler now, the trees losing almost all their leaves. Winona was in the computer lab checking her mail when she found another message from Wizardmon. She smiled as she read over the message.

As the day was coming to an end, the groups met again at the lake side and were enjoying the company of their partners. Winona set up the computer in her usual manner.

"I got another message from Wizardmon. He said that there are two more locations worth exploring right now. One is located at the Night Forest and the other at the Crystal Falls."

"Ok then we have to split up here since your gonna have to open two Digiports. Who's going to go where?" said Andrew.

"I'll stay behind, I have my crest already. No point in ruining it for somebody who doesn't have theirs," said Michelle, taking a seat next to the computer. Tsunomon jumped onto her lap and let out a yawn.

"Ok, how about me, Andrew, Ann, and Winona go to the Night Forest?" suggested Albert.

"Then me, Brandi, Cody, and Javi can go to the Crystal Falls," said TJ. The group nodded in agreement at the idea while Albert and his team stood before the computer. "Digiport open!" said Albert, and they were sucked through the screen. The next group took their position before the computer as Michelle prepared the port to the next location. They held out their Digivices and did the same as the group before them. "Digiport Open!" said Brandi as her group was sent through the computer.

Albert and his group were dumped into a heavily forested area. The trees out stretched their branches deep into the sky. The group looked up above to see that the area they were in was currently dark. The few spots of sky revealed stars and a moon.

"Why do we get the dark areas?" asked Albert, looking up into the sky.

"Mine haven't always been too dark," said Ann with a smile.

The group began to traverse through the forest area. Renamon was up in the trees examining the paths for enemy Digimon. Though there were many, many trees in the forest, the path was easy to follow. It was as if there others had followed this path many times before. The forest remained completely silent as the group walked through it.

"This place isn't so bad. We came to a quiet area for once," said Ann.

"That's how they all start out," added Winona.

"Very funny Winona," said Andrew.

"Any reactions from your crests?" asked Gaomon, looking at the group. Albert, Winona, and Andrew looked at their tags but had no reaction. Ann looked at her tag to see that it was slowly pulsing in a bright yellow color.

"My crest is in this forest," said Ann with excitement. She held out her tag as it slowly pulsed with light. The group used the tag as a guide as they followed the path through the forest. Ann looked around the forest, hoping for some sign of her crest. Hawkmon and Renamon looked for anything that could resemble the crest from up above.

"I'm not seeing anything up here," said Hawkmon.

"I can't sense any Digimon present here," added Renamon.

"I can't smell anything odd here," said Guilmon.

"It has to be here," stammered Ann.

"You'd think that there would be a simpler way to do this…." said Gaomon.

"You'd think that wouldn't you?" said Albert with a laugh.

"What's that up ahead?" asked Winona, pointing off into the distance. There was a small light shining. Ann held out her tag to find that it was glowing brighter now.

"My crest!" exclaimed Ann as she ran toward the light.

"Be careful Ann!" yelled Albert, running after her.

"You'd better listen Ann, who knows what Digimon is waiting for us there…." said Hawkmon, flying by her side. Ann reached a giant, tree like statue at the end of the path. A series of steps on the side of the statue spiraled to the top where a small statue sat. A bright yellow plate was sitting upon the smaller statue.

Ann let out a cry of excitement but then screamed when a Digimon appeared before her. The Digimon was a deep brown color and resembled a cockroach. It let out an evil laugh.

"I wondered when you would get here. I haven't had dinner yet," said The Digimon. Albert arrived behind Ann and scanned the Digimon. "Yuk, Roachmon, an insect type Digimon. His attack, Garbage Dump, buries his enemies in garbage."

"That's gross," said Ann in disgust.

"One man's trash is another's treasure. Let me show you. Garbage Dump!" cried Roachmon, throwing ball of garbage at the two. Albert and Ann ducked in time to avoid the attack.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

"Blast Rings!" cried Aquilamon, sending a series of crimson rings into Roachmon. Winona and Andrew finally caught up with the two of them and held out their Digivices.

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

"Pyro Blaster!" said Growlmon letting out a red orb. Roachmon quickly dodged the attack. Growlmon repeated the attack but could not hit the other Digimon. Aquilamon joined in with her attacks but could not get a clear shot at Roachmon.

"I have an idea. Winona, follow my lead," said Albert. Winona just shrugged in agreement.

"Gaogamon, attack at the same time as Kyubimon," said Albert.

"Spiral Blow!" said Gaogamon, releasing a cyclone aimed at Roachmon.

"Foxtail inferno!" said Kyubimon, letting her flames enter the cyclone. The cyclone caught the flames, turning it to a light blue color. The flames spiraled around Roachmon as it collided with him. Roachmon fell to the ground trying to put out the flames on his body. Aquilamon took the chance to strike.

"Blast Rings!" she cried again, sending another array of rings toward Roachmon. The attack destroyed Roachmon, sending his data into the air. The group let out a cheer as their partners returned to their rookie forms. Ann ran up the stone stair case to her crest. Her tag began to glow in a solid yellow color as she got closer and closer. Hawkmon flew by her side and stood next to her when they both reached the top. She held out her tag toward the crest.

The crest plate began to glow and slowly shrank in size. The crest began to enter her tag. Once the two objects were united together, the tag let out one last pulse. Ann looked over her new crest. The symbol looked like a feather with several lines cutting through it. She returned the crest to her neck and returned back down the stairs to reach the others.

"I have my crest now," said Ann as a giant smile grew across her face.

"That leaves only five more," said Andrew.

"Can we go back? I'm hungry," said Guilmon, holding his stomach. The group laughed and began to head back to the real world.

"Hey Albert, how did you know that that combination of attacks would work?" asked Winona.

"I am quite curious also," said Renamon.

"Well… to be honest… it was pure dumb luck," laughed Albert.

Winona and Renamon put their hand to their foreheads and sighed.

"That's my partner for you," said Gaomon with a chuckle.


	24. Ch 24 Crystal Clear

_**CH. 24 Crystal Clear**_

Brandi and her group were dropped off near an ocean. The soft sand had broken their fall this time. They got up, dusted themselves off, and surveyed the area. The night sky was littered with stars while the sound of the waves soothed the area.

"This is the first time we've ever been to a beach region," said Brandi, feeling the sea breeze.

"Don't enjoy it for too long. We got a crest to find," replied Cody.

"Why don't you two check your tags?" asked Javi, pointing to TJ and Brandi. They both pulled out their tags and held them outward. There was no reaction with TJ's tag but Brandi's gave off a small pulse in a blue color.

"Looks like your crest is somewhere here," said TJ.

"We'd better get exploring then," said Salamon with a smile. The group began to follow the edge of the beach. The pulses from Brandi's tag were faint. This region felt very comfortable to walk through. They were tempted to jump into the cool-looking water but continued with their journey.

"We need to come here sometime when all this fighting is over with," said Brandi.

"You'd be surprised how there are some regions as peaceful as this one scattered throughout the Digital World," said Agumon.

"You never know exactly what you're gonna find," added Monodramon.

"That's why every trip here is its own adventure" said Veemon.

"That was deep guys," laughed Cody.

"We have our moments," smiled Agumon.

The group found a small stream emptying off into the ocean. Brandi held her tag toward the stream and found that the pulses grew stronger. She pointed her tag toward the ocean but it only faded out. Brandi held the tag one more time toward the steam and it began to glow.

"I think my crest is up stream," said Brandi.

"That's a good guess," said Salamon. The group continued their journey, following a path that ran alongside the moving water. Brandi's crest began to glow more and more as they continued on the path. The group reached a pool of crystal clear water. The edges of the pool were surrounded by small stones of various colors and sizes. A cliff ran along the back of the pool and had just as many stones emerging from the sides.

"Is this the Crystal Falls?" asked TJ.

"I see the crystal but not the falls," said Javi in a playful manner. The group just rolled their eyes at his statement.

"What's that ugly thing?" asked Brandi, pointing into the clear pool of water. A dark blue shell with many spikes sticking out from its side sat beneath the water. The color and look of the shell showed that it did not belong within the natural beauty of this place.

"Looks like a giant hermit crab shell," said Cody, examining the object inside the pool.

The object began to rise out above the water. The shell began to spin for a second then approached the side of the pool where the group was. A pink, dinosaur-looking creature emerged from the front of the shell. The creature had several blue spots and green, tentacle like hair. The creature let out a roar and glared at the Digidestined.

"So you're the annoying pests that my lord can't crush" said the Digimon. Cody scanned the Digimon with his D-Dex "Shellmon, a sea type Digimon. He can use an attack called Aqua Blaster to attack his enemies. He doesn't look so tough."

"That's what you think. I shall have the privilege of destroying the Digidestined for my master," laughed Shellmon.

"You do know your master is a psychopathic nut job right?" mocked Javi.

"How dare you speak of my master like that!" barked Shellmon.

"It's true, though. Your master just wants to destroy this place for his own sick, twisted desires," added TJ.

"My master has true visions for the Digital World that don't involve you humans and your partners," Shellmon replied.

"Let's toast him. Ready Agumon?" asked Cody, pulling out his Digivice. The others mimicked his movement.

"That's where you stop," laughed Shellmon. The tentacles from his head stretched out and wrapped around Cody, Agumon, TJ, Veemon, Javi, and Monodramon. Brandi was knocked to the ground in time by Salamon to dodge the attack. Cody, TJ, and Javi all dropped their Digivices as they were lifted up into the air. The tentacles prohibited the guys from moving any part of their body.

"Let them go!" yelled Brandi.

"Or what?" mocked Shellmon. Shellmon began to squeeze his prey in his tentacles. The guys yelled in pain as they were being crushed.

"Stop!" cried Brandi.

"Funny how you can do nothing to save your friends. I'll crush them first, then you," laughed Shellmon.

Brandi held her Digivice in her hands and gripped it tightly. Salamon leapt into the air and began to glow.

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

"Lightning Paw!" cried Gatomon, striking Shellmon right under his chin. Brandi ran along the edges of the pool and collected the guys' Digivices. Gatomon landed right by Brandi's side gracefully.

"Gonna take more than that to beat me!" said Shellmon "Aqua Blast!" A stream of water shot forth from Shellmon's mouth, hitting Gatomon. She was sent flying onto the ground.

"Pathetic. You're not even strong enough to help them fight me let alone save them. You're so weak." The Digimon continued to squeeze the life out of the guys, who cried out again.

"I'm not weak. I'm strong, I can beat you. Me and Gatomon are strong," said Brandi. Gatomon got back up from off the ground.

"Your gonna pay for getting my fur wet," hissed Gatomon.

Gatomon sprung forth and attacked Shellmon. She moved so quickly that Shellmon could no longer keep up with the attacks. He let loose his grip on the guys, dropping them to the ground. They recovered from their fall and tried to catch their breath. Brandi quickly ran over to them and handed each of them their Digivices.

"Pay back time," gasped Cody.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

"Nova Blast!"

"V-Nova Blast!"

"Striking Barrage!"

The three attacks collided with Shellmon, destroying him into bits of data. The Digimon returned to their rookie forms.

"That was great Brandi. You took on a Digimon all by yourself," said TJ.

"Not all by myself, you all helped," smiled Brandi. She pulled out her tag as it began to glow even brighter. She walked to the edge of the pool with Salamon next to her. Brandi held out her tag above the water as a blue plate began to arise from the bottom of the pool. The plate began to change forms to fit the size of the tag. The glowing plate entered and the tag and gave one last glow, uniting the two. Brandi placed the tag around her neck. The symbol of a heart was imprinted on it with another heart in the middle.

"I got my tag and crest!"

The others congratulated her. They were startled by the sound of water falling. They looked to see a stream of water fall into the pool, creating a waterfall. It was illuminated with the colors of the stones on the side of the cliff.

"So this is the real Crystal Falls," said Javi.

"Another one of those spots you have to find," said Salamon with a laugh. The group headed back for the real world after admiring the falls for a bit.


	25. Ch 25 Dungeons and Dinosaurs

_**CH, 25 Dungeons and Dinosaurs**_

The group met once again at the lake the next day after receiving news from Winona that Wizardmon found the location of another crest. They were quickly met by their partners when they reached the lake front. Winona placed her laptop upon a stump and set the Digiport to the location Wizardmon had given them.

"Wizardmon said that there should be a crest in the Castle Ruins and another crest in the Temple of Data."

"Who's going where this time?" asked Cody.

"Count me out. I have homework to do," Ann said.

"Let's think about this. Albert, Winona, TJ, and Andrew have yet to find their crests," said Javi.

"So we should split them into two groups and then fill in the gaps" said Brandi.

"How about me, Winona, Javi, and Brandi go to the Temple of Data?" suggested Albert.

"So then me, Andrew, Cody, and Michelle can go to the Castle Ruins," said TJ. The group agreed as Ann set up the Digiport for the Castle Ruins. Andrew and his group stood before the screen. "Digiport open!" said Cody as the group was sucked through the screen. The next group took their place as Ann selected the Temple of Data for their location. "Digiport open!" said Winona, and her group was sent through the screen.

The group of TJ, Andrew, Cody, Michelle, and their Digital partners were dumped onto a field of grass. They regained their ground and looked around. A giant castle could be seen in the distance. The field they were in had remnants of what looked like a battle. The ruins of several other forts and barricades could be seen.

"This is the castle ruins? The name fits the location," said Michelle.

"It sure does," said Gabumon in agreement.

"Any reactions from your tags?" asked Cody as he turned to TJ and Andrew. They both held up their tags. TJ had no reaction from his tag but Andrew had a faint glow from his tag, which gave off weak grey pulses.

"Your crest is nearby," said Guilmon with excitement.

"I bet it'll be in that old castle over there," said Cody, pointing to the great castle in the distance.

"How do you figure that?" asked TJ.

"Cause the crests have always been in some location guarded by other Digimon so far. The castle looks like the perfect place for a trap," Cody replied.

"He has a point," said Agumon.

"Yeah but we'll knock over whatever lackey NeoDevimon sends," Veemon said with confidence.

"Then let's get going," said Cody. The group walked toward the castle. Andrew lead the group as the pulses from his tag grew more frequent. The grey glow became stronger and stronger the closer the group got to the castle. They soon reached the gate, only to find the door sealed shut.

"This is gonna be a problem," said Gabumon.

"No it's not. Agumon…" started Cody, holding his Digivice.

"It'll be easy," said Agumon.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

Greymon rammed his head into the castle door. The door only shook a bit but showed no signs of opening any further.

"Maybe if you had some help," said TJ, with his Digivice in hand.

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

The two Digimon rammed the door again, earning a shake, but it stayed closed. Andrew pulled out his Digivice.

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

"Ok on three guy. One… Two… Three…" said Growlmon as the three rammed the doors to the castle. They swung open to reveal a rather large, barren courtyard. Another set of doors stood on the other end. The guys walked forward with their Digimon. Once they entered, a series of bars sprung up from the ground, trapping them within the castle walls. Only Michelle and Gabumon stood on the outside of the castle.

"That was easy!" yelled a voice. The guys turned to see Ogrermon standing atop one of the castle walls.

"What are you doing here?" yelled TJ.

"NeoDevimon is getting grumpy with you brats finding your crests. He sent me to set up this little trap for you," replied Ogremon with a laugh.

"NeoDevimon won't be in power for long. We're almost done finding our crests," said Cody with pride.

"Yes we know that. That is why we set up a play date for you Digi-Dorks. I have to take care of some other business, so Tuskmon is going to deal with you. Have at them, Tuskmon!" yelled Ogermon. A large green Digimon sprung out from beneath the ground and let out a loud roar. The Digimon had two large black spikes sticking out from on his back. Michelle scanned the Digimon from behind the bars.

"I'll leave this to him." said Ogermon disappearing into a dark portal behind him.

"Tuskmon, a dinosaur type Digimon. His Slamming Tusk attack can impale his enemies, be careful guys!" yelled Michelle from the outside of the castle.

"We'll be alright. See if you can find a way to release these bars," said Cody.

"Don't worry, me and Michelle will find a way in," said Gabumon.

Cody, TJ, and Andrew were left to face Tuskmon with their partners. Tuskmon let out another loud roar and slammed the spikes on his back into the ground. The whole ground trembled from the attack.

"That must be his Slamming Tusk attack that Michelle mentioned," said Andrew.

"That's not an attack, this is an attack. Nova Blast!" said Greymon, releasing his attack. The fireball slammed into Tuskmon, causing him to take a few steps backward.

"This should stop him. V-Nova Blast!" yelled Veedramon releasing another attack of fire onto Tuskmon. The Digimon was thrown back into the door on the other side of the courtyard, creating a large gap into the interior of the castle. Tuskmon regained his ground and looked toward the group with anger.

"This guy's tough isn't he?" said Cody.

Tuskmon lowed himself so that his spikes were aimed at the group and charged at them. Greymon and Veedramon grabbed each of the spikes and lifted Tuskmon into the air. They both tossed the Digimon into the sky. Growlmon took aim and released an attack.

"Pyro Blaster!" cried Growlmon as the attack collided with Tuskmon, who was destroyed into bits of data from the fire.

"That's the end of him," said Cody.

The iron bar behind them disappeared into the ground, causing the guys to turn around at the sudden sound. Michelle entered the courtyard while riding on Garurumon's back. The Digimon returned to their rookie forms.

"So you found a way to open the gate after all," said TJ.

"Yeah. There was a release to the gate on the top of the wall there. Gabumon Digivolved and was able to reach the lever with ease," said Michelle, pointing to the top of the gate. The group turned to see Andrew and Guilmon walking toward the gaping hole in the wall, Andrew holding out his tag. The two entered the castle interior to find a huge emblem upon the wall. A grey plate was in the center of the emblem; it began to glow and lift itself off the wall.

The plate glowed in the same grey color as the tag. And began to reform itself so that it would fit into the tag. The two slowly joined, letting out one last glow of light to show that they had been joined together. Andrew looked over his new found crest. The crest looked like a wheel with several spokes joining at another circle in the middle.

Andrew, with Guilmon, exited the castle wearing his newly joined tag and crest. The two approached the group, smiling.

"Looks like you guys found your crest," said Michelle.

"So only three more crests out there then," recapped TJ.

"NeoDevimon has no idea what's coming to him," added Cody. The group nodded to each other, then took off back into the real world.


	26. Ch 26 Labyrinth

_**CH. 26 Labyrinth**_

The group of Winona, Albert, Javi, and Brandi were dumped into a deep jungle area. They landed with a loud thump into the forest, landing on to the vaguely damp ground. The humid air was accompanied by many other buzzing noises. Various vines hung from the trees up above. The group recollected themselves and surveyed the area.

"Ugh… of all the areas we get, we get the humid one," said Brandi in disgust.

"It's not so bad," said Winona, fanning herself with her hand.

"Any reactions from the crests?" asked Javi, looking at Albert and Winona. The two pulled out their tags and examined them.

"Nothing from mine," sighed Albert.

"No problem that just means that that yours is going to be the next one we find," said Gaomon.

Winona looked on with excitement at her tag. "Mine's here, my crest is here."

"Then we better look for it," Renamon said.

The group followed Winona through the thick jungle, exploring many regions of the jungle till they found a large stone temple in the center of the jungle. It was a massive pyramidal grey structure, covered in vines. A large stone door was before them, leading into the interior of the temple.

"This is it," said Winona, holding up her tag. The tag was giving off brighter pulses in a purple color.

"So this is the Temple of Data, I wonder if it is connected to the Data Library?" asked Javi in though.

"Wouldn't surprise me," said Monodramon.

"Let's go inside," said Winona, leading the way. The group followed deep into the interior of the temple. Many torches were placed on the wall, illuminating path before them and showing the group the way. Winona's crest still gave off the same pulses of light the further they got into the temple. The team stopped when they got to a set of paths splitting in opposite directions.

"Which way?" asked Javi.

"I don't know, my tag gives off the same amount of pulses in both directions," Winona replied, moving her tag between the two paths.

"We could split up but the group without the tag would be wandering lost," said Albert.

"I guess we'll have to keep wandering this place till we find the crest. With the tag constantly glowing like that, it will be difficult," said Gaomon.

The group thought about what to do to find the crest. A low growling sound could be heard from behind the group, slowly approaching.

"What's that?" asked Brandi, looking down into the hall they had just exited. A figure could be seen approaching them.

"It sounds like a Digimon" said Salamon. The creature let out a loud roar and showed itself to the group. The Digimon looked half human, half bull, with a cannon-like device on its left arm. The Digimon glared at the team, showing its sharp teeth. Javi scanned the Digimon with his D-Dex. "Minotarumon, a beast type Digimon, he can use that device on his arm to perform his Earthquake Drill attack. I really wouldn't want to be the receiving end of that attack."

"Oh great, this place has a guard," said Winona.

"What's the plan?" asked Renamon.

"Split up and run" said Albert. Minotarumon raised his arm with the strange looking device and rammed it into the ground, causing the whole room to shake. The group took off frantically into the two directions without thinking. Albert, Gaomon, Winona, and Renamon went running down one hallway while Brandi, Salamon, Javi, and Monodramon went through other hallway. Minotarumon let out another roar and took off after Albert and Winona.

The hallways twisted and turned as the two of them and their partners traveled through them. The torch-lit paths seemed to go on forever. More and more cross roads presented themselves, making the team chose which path to take quickly. Minotarumon could be heard growling from behind them.

"Hey Winona" panted Albert.

"What?" asked Winona, gasping for air.

"I think this place is a maze, you know like a labyrinth…" said Albert.

"You think?" Winona asked sarcastically.

"Think we can lose Minotarumon in the halls then?" asked Gaomon.

"Maybe, I'm not sure but if our luck is good enough, someone is bound to run into the crest," answered Albert, taking off into another hallway. Winona, Renamon, and Gaomon followed.

Javi and his group continued through the halls. It wasn't long until they found out the idea of the Temple of Data.

"This place is a maze," gasped Javi.

"Yeah, I figured that out about twenty turns ago," said Brandi, catching her breath.

Salamon walked through another hallway then called out to the group. "Hey guys, look at this!"

The group followed Salamon and found a circular room within the temple. There was another door across the way, facing them. Sunlight was pouring in from the ceiling of the temple. The light illuminated a purple plate on the floor surrounded by many other symbols. Javi turned to see a mural on one of the walls and examined it. The mural seemed to show a temple set in the sky with an odd symbol imprinted in white above the temple.

"What's this?" asked Javi, examining the mural closely.

"Looks like another temple but it's in the sky," answered Monodramon

Brandi looked over another mural that mapped out the temple, showing all possible exits and entrances.

"I think I found an exit," pointed Brandi.

"Which means we can leave here as soon as…" started Salamon, but was cut off by Winona and her group running into the room, closely followed by Minotarumon.

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

Minotarumon stopped and looked terrified after seeing the Digimon's new forms.

"This'll teach you to try and destroy us. Striking Barrage!" cried Strikedramon, delivering a flurry of punches and kicks onto Minotarumon.

"Lightning Claw!" said Gatomon, knocking the Digimon onto the ground with a swift punch.

"This'll end it, Spiral blow!" said Gaogamon.

"Foxtail Inferno!" said Kyubimon, combining attacks with Gaogamon. The two attacks intertwined with each other, destroying Minotarumon in a burst of swirling blue flames. The remaining bits of the Digimon's data flew up into the sky through the opening in the ceiling. The group's Digimon reverted back to their rookie forms.

Winona held out her tag as it glowed in a bright purple light, Renamon taking a spot right by her side. She approached the plate implanted into the floor and held her tag above it. The plate slowly lifted off the floor and began to glow in the same light as the tag. It began to change forms and enter the tag. The tag and crest gave off one last glow to show that the two were now joined as one. Winona looked over her tag. The symbol resembled a series of lines spiraling inward meeting at one point in the center.

"I got my crest," said Winona, returning the tag to her neck.

"So that only leaves two more if the others found their crest," said Brandi.

"Let's get out of here and go home, we know the way out," said Salamon, leading the way out. Albert and Gaomon remained in the room, examining the mural with the floating temple.

"Something wrong?" asked Gaomon.

"This mural seems odd. It's like it was placed here to give us a sign as to where to head next," said Albert.

"You two are going to get left behind!" yelled Javi. Albert and Gaomon turned and ran to catch up with the group.


	27. Ch 27 Bond of Brothers

_**CH. 27 Bond of Brothers**_

Ann sat happily reading her book while her partner Poromon flew above her. Her focus was broken when the screen on the laptop began to glow brightly. Cody and his team were dumped out of the screen with a loud thud onto the ground. After a few seconds, Winona and her group were dropped on top of them. After grumbling about timing, the group discussed what they had found.

"I got my crest," said Andrew, holding out his tag.

"And so did I," said Winona, repeating the gesture.

"That leave only two more to find," said Cody.

"Were almost there," cheered Koromon.

Winona glanced over to her laptop to notice that there was another message waiting for her. She quickly examined the message and smiled.

"Make that only one more to find. Wizardmon has found another crest's location at a place called Rocky Heights," Winona said, looking over the screen. The window on the screen displayed a mountain like region with many peaks stretching out into the sky.

"Wonder why they call it Rocky Heights?" laughed Javi.

"We'll check that place out tomorrow, it looks really tough and we're all tired already," said Albert. The group nodded and began to head back through the forest with their partners. TJ fell to the back of the group and pulled back Cody.

"Hey Cody, how about me and you go find that crest?"

"Why do you want to go now?" asked Cody.

"That place looks too dangerous to go in a large group. Look, we're like the leaders of the group so we have to put the groups safety first above all else. Since we are the strongest and most physically fit we can go get the crest in no time. I'm going regardless but I would like to have some back up though," TJ replied.

"How can you be sure it's your crest and not Albert's?" asked Cody.

"Cause I figure that the crests are located in places that match our own abilities. A rough terrain seems more like a fit for me than for Albert."

Cody gave a small smirk and nodded in agreement. "Ok, but shouldn't we get somebody with medical training like Albert or Michelle to come with us though? They may not be strong but if something were to happen…" started Cody.

"I thought about that and I think we should leave them out. It's too dangerous for them even if it would be a good idea to bring them."

"Ok then, you guys up for one more trip?" asked Cody, looking at Koromon and DemiVeemon. The two Digimon gave a quick nod.

"We'll use my computer to go. Let's head over to my house," said TJ. They headed to TJ's house, sneaking the Digimon by TJ's parents and heading to his room, making up an excuse for the two of them being there along the way. The two opened the Digiport after they heard his parents go to sleep.

TJ, Veemon, Cody, and Agumon were dumped on one of the mountain sides. The small clearing made a perfect spot for them to land in. The group examined the area to find that they were already a good way up one of the mountains.

"That's a long way down," gulped Veemon, looking down the mountain from one of the cliffs.

"Let's go find my crest," said TJ, walking up to the mountain side and getting a good hold of the rocks. Cody did the same as they both began to climb up. Agumon and Veemon were following close behind, trying to keep up with them. After climbing the cliff several feet up, they found another clearing and took a short break to catch their breath.

"We're making good time," said TJ, examining the mountain side. The peak of the mountain was visible from where they were at.

"That's good, any reaction from your tag?" asked Cody as he rolled up his sleeves to cool off, TJ doing the same. He examined his tag, which had started giving off faint teal-colored pulses.

"Yeah it is, my guess was right," said TJ.

"That or your just lucky," said Veemon.

"It was a fifty-fifty shot," added Agumon.

"So you really think we're the leader of this group?" asked Cody, looking up into the starry sky.

"Yeah, we're always the ones helping out the group. I'd say Albert would make a good one too but he only needs a bit more confidence in himself," TJ replied.

"He's scared about the darkness. He's been having nightmares, I think he can sense whenever there is an evil force around," said Cody.

"He must feel awful all the time, always feeling so scared," said Veemon.

"That's why we made a vow to help protect him," said Agumon.

"Yep, we made him a promise at the Data Library with Gaomon to always have his back and protect him. Hopefully, that will give him a bit more confidence to face what scares him," said Cody.

"Let's hope so, you always got my back?" asked TJ with a laugh.

"Yeah bro, we're the leaders aren't we?" replied Cody.

The group let out a small laugh and continued up the mountain side. Suddenly, one of the rocks that Cody grabbed on to broke apart, causing him to slide back down. TJ quickly caught him and pulled him up.

"Thanks man," said Cody.

"No problem. We're bros aren't we?" said TJ. Before Cody could say anything a Digimon appeared from below them. It looked rather large with a body made out of what appeared to be stone. It seemed to have a black mask on its face with several band across some parts of its body. The Digimon let out a loud roar the shook the mountain side. It pulled back its fist and rammed it deeply into the cliff, causing several rocks to fall from overhead.

"Climb guys!" cried Veemon. The group quickly made their way up the top of the mountain with the unknown Digimon in hot pursuit. They tried to avoid several of the falling rocks but took a few hits.

The two of them finally reached the top of the mountain and found a relatively flat clearing with a small amount of rocks on one end. Cody pulled out his D-Dex and scanned the Digimon "Golemon, it's a rock type Digimon with a powerful attack called Rock Punch."

Golemon leapt high into the air and landed right before the two of the, preparing for another attack.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

Golemon let his attack fly forward but was caught by Greymon.

"Let's send you on a trip back down the mountain," said Greymon, lifting the creature into the air and throwing him down.

"This send you packing, V-Nova Blast!" said Veedramon, releasing his attack. The attack blew Golemon off the side of the mountain and into the distance. The two Digimon reverted back to their rookie forms.

"That'll send him on a nice trip," said Agumon.

TJ held out his tag and noticed that it was glowing. Veemon stood by him as the two approached the small mound of rocks. TJ held his tag over the mound, causing a teal colored plate to appear from beneath the pile. The plate began to glow and reshaped itself to fit within the tag. The tag and crest joined together, releasing one last glow. TJ looked over his new acquisition. The crest had the symbol of what appeared to be a shield like pattern with a _v_ mark in the center.

"And with that, there is only one more crest to find," said Cody.

TJ placed the tag and crest around his neck and smiled. "Yep, Albert will be glad to find his crest."

"Hey, what's that?" asked Veemon, pointing into the distance. A large, castle-like structure was floating high in the sky. The group stood and examined this structure.

"Think Wizardmon knows anything about it?" asked Agumon.

"We'll have to ask him. Let's head on home and get some rest," Cody replied. The group nodded and began to head back down the mountain side.

"Huh, Cody and TJ are in the Digital World," said Albert, looking into his computer screen.

"Did they find a crest?" asked Gaomon, looking into the screen.

"I think so, looks like they are returning home. That's what I wanted to find," said Albert, clicking on one of the squares near the Rocky Heights. The location showed a castle floating in the sky. The structure looked to be hidden, due to the lack of light.

"I think my crest is there."

"A floating set of ruins, just like in the Temple of Data."

Albert let out a few coughs and looked back into the screen.

"I think I should talk to Wizardmon about this but I'll wait for the others," said Albert, coughing a little more.

"You ok?" asked Gaomon.

"Yeah, nothing some water won't cure," smiled Albert, leaving the room.


	28. Ch 28 Palace in the Sky

_**Ch. 28 Palace in the Sky**_

The following day Cody and TJ told the others of their little trip to the Digital World. The group was a bit mad that they were left behind but glad that TJ got his crest none the less. After a few more days had passed, the group met on a Saturday. They gathered around to figure out what to do about finding the last crest. Winona pulled up the Digiport on her laptop.

"So where do we go next?" asked Winona, looking over the map.

"I have no idea, anything from Wizardmon?" asked Cody.

"Nope, nothing."

"What about that place on the mural from the Temple of Data?" suggested Javi, "It had the picture of a crest above it so maybe Albert's crest is there."

"It was just a picture, how do we know it even exists?" put in Brandi.

"It does exist," said TJ all of a sudden.

"When we were at the top of the Rocky Heights, we saw the palace floating in the distance. Question is how to get there…." Cody added.

"Aquilamon can take us," said Ann.

"Not all at once. It'll take to many trips to get there plus if something should happen, we'd have no way to get back," said Andrew.

"Wizardmon might know something," said Brandi.

"Sounds like a plan. We'll go to the Village of Beginnings and ask him," said Albert, pulling out his Digivice. The group gathered around the laptop and held up their Digivices. "Digiport open!" said Albert, and the group was sucked through the screen. They were dumped back into the Village of Beginnings' soft ground. They collected themselves and headed for the center of the village. The group found Wizardmon looking over an old book while the baby Digimon bounced around. Wizardmon looked up from his book to see the Digidestined before him.

"Oh, what brings you kids here? I haven't sent you anything about another crests location yet," said Wizardmon.

"We have an idea to where the crest maybe," said Agumon.

"Do you know anything about a sky palace?" asked Gaomon.

"Well, there is a one place called the Palace of the Ancients that floats way above the sky over the Digital world," said Wizardmon in thought.

"That must be it cause in the Temple of Data, we found a mural that had the picture of a palace in the sky with another crest floating above it," said Salamon.

"Yes… Yes… I get what you are saying and that is a logical guess to the final crests location. Allow me to take you there. Magical Game!" said Wizardmon, holding up his staff. A bright blue slight surrounded the group and teleported them to the sky palace. Wizardmon landed gently while the group fell flat on the ground.

"Warn us before you do that," grumbled Javi as he got up. The group examined their surroundings to find that they were high above into the sky. The ruins of what appeared to be a castle lay around them. The yellow stones formed the structure of this place. Many towers and buildings remained floating in the air. One path laid before the group leading straight into a building in the center of the palace.

"So Albert you tell us, any reaction from your tag?" asked Michelle eagerly.

Albert pulled out his tag and found that it was glowing in slight pulses of white. He held out his tag to find that the closer he got to the central structure, the more the crest glowed.

"Yeah it's here, my crest is here," Albert replied. He let out a few coughs then placed the tag back around his neck and led the way into the central building of the castle. Albert coughed a little more as the group progressed.

"Are you feeling ok?" asked Ann.

"Yeah I'm fine, it's just the altitude," smiled Albert.

"If you're sure then…"

The group pressed onward into the palace. The center building held only one chamber inside of it. The room was circular is shape and had a large glass skylight for a ceiling. Many murals filled the sides of the walls. Each one showed a different location along with the symbol of the Digidestined's crests above the site.

"This place shows all of our crest locations," said Winona.

"So it would appear," said Renamon.

"Hey, it's the mural from the Temple of Data," said Monodramon pointing to one of the murals. The mural depicted the same picture of a floating sky palace.

"So where is your crest?" asked Javi, looking over to Albert. Albert held out his tag, which began to glow even brighter and brighter. The rest of the group pulled out their tags and crests to find that they too were glowing.

The room began to shake as the light from the tags glowed brighter. The walls began to move causing all the murals to move around the room. The murals seemed to combine as one bigger picture. All the symbols of the crests formed a larger circle above the giant mural. The symbol above the sky palace stood in the middle. A solid white plate began to form in the center of the crest symbols circle.

"It's my crest," said Albert with excitement.

"You mean my crest!" said a voice from behind the group. The figure looked human, covered by a red cloak. It wore a red witch hat, and was riding on a broom stick. Brandi scanned the figure with her D-Dex to see if it was human or Digimon. "Witchmon, a dark type Digimon, she uses two attacks called Aquari Pressure and Poison Storm to destroy her opponents."

"Well, well, well… if it isn't my old friend Wizardmon…" said Witchmon.

"You. What are you doing here," growled Wizardmon.

"Well, my lord NeoDevimon sent me to crush some pests and bring him the tags and crests from the Digidestined. Seeing as you found the crest for me here, I'll destroy you all and take the tags and crests," said Witchmon, riding into the air on her broom stick.

"Poison Storm!" cried Witchmon, releasing a cloud of purple gas from her hand. The gas moved toward the group.

"Don't breath it in," said Wizardmon.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

"Spiral Blow!" yelled Gaogamon, blowing all the poisoned gas back toward Witchmon with his attack.

"Finish her Gaogamon!" yelled Albert.

"Right Spiral Blow!" yelled Gaogamon releasing another cyclone toward Witchmon. Witchmon dodged the attack.

"Magical Game!" said Wizardmon releasing another stream of light from his staff. The attack flew right by Witchmon.

"You missed!" laughed Witchmon. She flew around the room and grabbed the crest off the wall. "Well this has been fun but I better get this to NeoDevimon. Later," Witchmon flew straight through the ceiling, crashing through the sky light.

"We can't let her get away!" cried Hawkmon but it was too late; she had got away with the crest.

"We were so close," said Cody in anger.

Albert held out his tag. The tag still glowed in a bright white color. "I thought you did something. No way you could have missed," he laughed.

"I thought you'd see through my trick," said Wizardmon. The group looked on in confusion. Gaogamon reverted back to Gaomon.

Albert and Gaomon slowly approached the circle of crests on the wall. Albert held out his tag, causing a white plate to appear. The plate began to glow in a solid white and reformed in size. The crest slowly entered Albert's tag and let out one last flash of light to show that the two were now one. Albert looked over his tag and crest. The crest resembled an eight pointed star with a circle in the middle with a triangle in the center of it.

"I got my crest," smile Albert, then let out a few more coughs.

"That means we've found them all," said Gaomon.

"Wait what just happened?"asked TJ, still confused.

"My Magical Game spell switched the real crest with a fake one, hiding it," smiled Wizardmon.

"Witchmon should have figured out that the plate she got is a fake by the time she reaches NeoDevimon's base," smiled Gaomon.

"Man, I never would have figured that out…" started Cody. "Albert you ok?"

Albert was coughing more violently now. He couldn't stop, collapsing to the ground. Michelle ran over to Albert and checked his vitals

"Albert, your burning up," said Michelle, checking Albert's forehead. Albert just let out a few more coughs. "We need to get him back to the real world."

"Yes, that is wise. Magical Game!" said Wizardmon, transporting the group away from the Palace of the Ancient.

"_You what!?" cried NeoDevimon._

"_I thought I had the real crest. Those Digidestined brats fooled me," said Witchmon._

"_You insolent… no matter, they have their tags and crests. They will try to find me and destroy me all while rescuing Leomon. Well, if that is what they want to do, then I say we prepare for a fight. Ogermon!" said NeoDevimon._

"_Yes my Lord?" said Ogermon entering the room. _

"_Prepare for an attack and I have something for you," said NeoDevimon._


	29. Ch 29 Infiltration

_**CH. 29 Infiltration**_

"Yeah… Ok… Thanks Michelle. I'll talk to you later… Bye," spoke Cody. He closed his cell phone and pocketed the device. Cody, TJ, Andrew, Javi, and Winona were all at the lake with their partners. The sky was darkened by the evening hours. Winona had her laptop set up to a new location.

"So how's Albert doing?" asked TJ.

"From what I can figure since Michelle used every medical term in the book, he's fine. He contracted some virus that attacked his body, causing him to be weakened. They got him some anti-virus cure thingy and he's doing better for the most part. He just sleep and rest for now," said Cody.

"For somebody in a medical training course, you worded that a little oddly," said Andrew.

"It's good to hear that he's fine and all but what are we going to do now that we have all our tags and crests. Wizardmon said that if we found all of them we'd have the power to defeat NeoDevimon," said TJ.

"I know but can we really leave the others behind and face NeoDevimon alone?" asked Cody, examining the situation.

"That may be our only option. Wizardmon sent me an email and I now know where NeoDevimon is located," said Winona, pointing to a square on the map.

"And that place is…" started Javi.

"Dark Valley," finished Winona.

"That sounds so inviting," remarked Javi.

"We should go and finish this or at least rescue Leomon and plan another attack," said TJ.

"I agree with him," said DemiVeemon.

"What about the others?" asked Winona.

"Let them take care of Albert. We can't put them in danger. Should something happen to us, they'd have to come up with a plan," said Cody.

"If that's what you guys want to do then the gate is open," said Winona, pulling out her Digivice.

"You're coming too?" questioned Javi.

"I don't see why not, I'm just as important as you guys are," said Winona. Javi just shrugged as they held up their Digivices. "Digiport open!" said Cody as the group was sent through the screen. They were dumped into a wasteland like area and surveyed the area.

"This place looks so cheery," said Agumon sarcastically.

"And I suppose that must be NeoDevimon's base," said Monodramon, pointing to a large castle in the distance.

"I guess so," said Javi.

"Let's go then guys," said Cody leading the way.

As the group approached the castle, they were able to see more of its features. The midnight black castle was surrounded by a large stone wall. They could see many towers stretching into the sky. There appeared to be only one door into the castle walls, which was currently wide open.

"This has to be a trap," said Renamon, surveying the scene.

"Yeah but do we have any other choice? Besides, how many followers could be living in there anyways?" asked TJ.

"He's got a point," said Veemon.

"I say we charge in, break Leomon out, and if we can destroy NeoDevimon then we do it," said Cody with a tone of confidence. The group nodded, Winona still uneasy about the situation.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

"Charge!" yelled Cody. The team rushed through the gates. Instead of finding the place littered with guards, the whole palace was completely empty.

"Guys, something doesn't add up here," said Andrew.

"Yeah, you'd think that something would be attacking us," said Javi.

"HAHAHA. So, you Digidestined have finally come," said a voice. The group turned to the castle entrance to see Ogermon laughing.

"You!" said Cody.

"Yes and what is this. Looks like you left the weaker Digi-Brats behind. We'll destroy them later but you'll do for now. NeoDevimon requests that I finish you all off with the help of some friends of ours. Oh, Vilemon!" cried Ogermon.

Groups of bat-like Digimon appeared in the sky. They had razor sharp fangs, glowing red eyes, and yellow claws. The screeched as they flew around in the air. Andrew scanned the Digimon "Vilemon, virus type Digimon, they have an attack called Nightmare Shocker to crush their enemies."

"Oh and I have a new trick to show you as well. Behold!" said Ogermon, holding out a black colored sphere.

"You wanted to show us your crystal ball or something?" asked Winona.

"No you brat. This is the remaining data of NeoDevimon's previous form, Devimon. Using this power I can Digivolve," laughed Ogrermon, holding the black orb. The orb gave off a maleficent colored light. Ogermon began to change forms. His new form was taller than his previous form. His body was now a red skeleton with a set of black wings and a black skull for a head. The creature held an odd looking staff in his hands.

"I am now SkullSatamon," said the Digimon.

"SkullSatamon, an undead type Digimon, his two attacks are Bone Blaster and Skull Hammer. You just got uglier, so what?" said Cody as he put his D-Dex back into his vest pocket.

"You kids do not know what you have gotten yourselves into," laughed the Digimon.

The Vilemon began to swoop in and attack. They released short bursts of black colored lightning upon the group. The groups' Digimon retaliated with attacks of their own.

"Pyro Blaster!" said Growlmon, letting out a red orb destroying several of the Vilemon.

"Foxtail Inferno!" said Kyubimon, releasing several flames from her tail. The flames attached to the Vilemon, burning them to a crisp.

"Nova Blast!" said Greymon sending out a fire ball and destroying several Vilemon.

"V-Nova Blast!" said Veedramon, sending out his attack and destroying another group of Vilemon.

"Striking Barrage!" cried Strikedramon, charging toward SkullSatamon. He released a flurry of attacks upon SkullSatamon but was blocked blow for blow.

"Pathetic. Let me show you a real attack. Skull Hammer!" said SkullSatamon, hitting Strikedramon across his body and knocking back against the ground. SkullSatamon flew into the air. He held out his staff and yelled "Bone Blaster!"

Several bolts of electricity struck down onto the earth, hitting the groups Digimon. All the teams' Digimon were knocked to the ground. They struggled to get up and attack. All charged forward toward the undead Digimon.

"Oh this'll be fun, Skull Hammer!" said the Digimon, striking the group with a single swipe from his staff. The Digimon were knocked helpless to the ground except for Kyubimon, who just barley evaded the attack.

"Four down, one to go," said SkullSatamon, raising his staff.

"That's enough my loyal servant," said a voice. The group looked to see NeoDevimon appearing.

"I think we'll keep these kids as bait for the others to come. It'll be great plus I will have five of the nine crests in my possession," laughed NeoDevimon.

"We won't let you hurt them. Let's get him guys," said Greymon. The team charged forward. Cody surveyed the scene and took off his crest. He quickly handed it to Winona.

"Take this and get out of here," said Cody sternly.

"What!?" said Winona in surprise. The others joined the two of them while the Digimon kept back NeoDevimon's army.

"Take the crest and get out of here, he may get us but he won't get the crests," Cody stated.

"He has a point, you have the only Digimon fast enough to escape," said TJ, giving Winona his tag and crest.

"He won't kill us or our partners so we'll be ok," Andrew put in, also giving his over.

"Just go get the others," said Javi.

"But... I…" started Winona.

"Just go before he stops you!" yelled Cody. Winona gripped all the crests in her hand and placed them around her neck. Kyubimon overheard the plan and ran toward Winona, who quickly leapt on her back and escaped through the castle gate.

"Brave very brave but you only prolonging the inevitable. Stun Claw!" said NeoDevimon, attacking the other Digimon. They were reverted back to their rookie forms. "And as for you brats…" said NeoDevimon. TJ, Cody, Andrew, and Javi stood ready for anything. Cody felt a quick hit to his chest and after that, it was darkness.

Winona pressed onward, hearing only NeoDevimon's laughter in the background.


	30. Ch 30 Rescue Plan

_**CH. 30 Rescue Plan**_

Albert sat on his bed with Gaomon by his side. His fever had subsided and now his cough was kept under control for the most part. He heard somebody knock on his door.

"Come in," said Albert lightly. The door opened as Brandi came in, carrying a bowl with steam rising from it. Salamon followed behind her.

"This'll help you feel better." She handed him the bowl.

"It's alright Brandi. I'm feeling fine, I swear." He pushed the bowl away, but Brandi pushed it back toward him.

"No, you need your strength so eat it," she said. "I'll be right back, me and Michelle are working on a few more cures for you downstairs in the kitchen."

Brandi left the room, closing the door. Albert handed the bowl to Gaomon.

"What's this for? I'm not hungry."

"If you cared about my well being, then you'll eat it. I think I'll throw up if I eat Brandi's cooking. Remind me to never ask the girls to help me when I'm sick," laughed Albert. Gaomon laughed a bit and started eating. After taking one bite of it, Gaomon looked as if he was going to hurl.

Brandi returned downstairs to find Michelle and Gabumon looking over a pot on the stove. She walked over to them.

"And this would be…" started Michelle.

"Soup, it's a secret family recipe. Try some," said Brandi, handing the two a pair of spoons. Michelle and Gabumon took the spoons and dipped them into the soup. After trying a taste of it they ran to the sink to get some water.

"We're trying to help Albert, not kill him!" gasped Michelle.

"It's full of vitamins and minerals essential for maintaining a healthy body."

"You do know minerals come from food, not dirt right?" Gabumon asked. Before Brandi could respond, they heard they door bell ring. Brandi went to answer the door. She opened the door to allow Ann and Hawkmon to enter, carrying rather large bags.

"I got what you wanted from the store Brandi. Well stores because I couldn't find everything from one place. So how is Albert doing?" asked Ann as she entered the house.

"He's fine, well, he's probably lost all his taste buds by now but he's fine," smiled Michelle.

Hawkmon flew over to the stove top to see into the pot "What's this?" asked Hawkmon, about to try the liquid inside.

"Don't eat it," stated Gabumon quickly.

"So where is everybody?" asked Ann.

"Well Albert's dad is at some teacher's conference for the weekend so Albert is home alone till like Tuesday. We came to make sure he gets better. The others are… actually now that I think about it, where are the others?" asked Brandi.

"I called Cody and all them but nobody answered their phones," said Michelle. Gaomon entered the room holding an empty bowl.

"Albert says thanks for the soup and he doesn't want anymore since he's full," said Gaomon with a smile.

"He ate it all. Well that's good," said Brandi, smiling. She took the bowl and placed it in the sink.

"He really ate all that?" whispered Gabumon.

"Ate, threw out the window, it's all the same," answered Gaomon. They let out a small laugh. Albert entered the room wearing his normal clothing.

"Albert you should be in bed," said Brandi.

"I'm feeling fine Brandi." She felt his forehead with the back of her hand.

"At least your fever is down, I guess you can walk around."

Ann looked over the pot of the soup Brandi prepared. Albert just whispered in her ear. "If you like having all your taste buds, don't eat it," The two of them laughed. The door bell rang for a second time. Michelle went to answer the door this time. When she opened the door she found Winona on the doorstep, gasping for air. Viximon was in her arms, looking very tired. Winona had her laptop case on her back.

"Winona, what happened?" asked Michelle. Winona just entered, found the living room, and sat on the couch, still trying to catch her breath. The others entered the room to see what was going on.

"We've been calling you for the longest time. You and the others. Where have you been?" asked Brandi.

"Digital World… guys… battle… ran…" panted Winona.

"Ok, take a deep breath and explain what happened slowly," said Albert, kneeling before Winona.

Winona took a deep breath to calm down then explained the situation. "We all went to the Digital World and entered NeoDevimon's castle. We were ambushed and, to make a long story short, the guys got captured but gave me their crests to take and see that NeoDevimon didn't get them." She pulled out the guys' crests from her pocket and held them up. Albert took the crests and held them in his hands.

"What are we going to do? Half the team is captured," said Michelle.

Winona opened her laptop to find that there was a message waiting for her from Wizardmon. She opened it and read it. "Not good guys… This isn't good."

"What happened?" asked Salamon

"Wizardmon said that he got a message from NeoDevimon. It says that no harm will come to the guys if we hand over all the tags and crests. He also sent Wizardmon their Digivices to show that they are currently fine."

"So if NeoDevimon has the guys, why did he send their Digivices to Wizardmon?" asked Hawkmon.

"Like Winona said, to show that they are alright. Their partners can't Digivolve without a Digivice so they're pretty much helpless right now," said Albert as he reviewed the situation.

"We have to help them," said Ann.

"Then we go to the Digital World to save them. Let's go see Wizardmon first though," said Michelle, holding out her Digivice. The group all pulled out their Digivices.

"Albert, you should stay here," Brandi said to him.

"You're still sick," added Salamon.

"With the guys captured, you're going to need all the help you can get. I'm going either way," Albert replied sternly. He let out a small cough.

"He's right, as much as he should stay, we're gonna need him," said Michelle. The group nodded. "Digiport open!" said Michelle as the group was sucked through the computer. They landed in the Village of Beginnings and quickly found Wizardmon. Wizardmon looked a bit relieved to see them appear.

"I take it that you read my message," said Wizardmon. The group nodded in unison.

"This is a dire situation indeed. Have you thought about what you're going to do?" he asked.

"We have to rescue the guys, but the thing is… this is a trap. We're smart enough to see that NeoDevimon is going to double cross us," said Winona.

"We need a plan," Renamon added.

"Well here are the other's Digivices," said Wizardmon, handing over a small sack. Brandi grabbed the sack and pulled out the Digivices.

"What are we going to do? We can give NeoDevimon our tags and crests but then he'll have what he wants and be able to take over the Digiworld. On the other hand if we don't do what he says, the guys are doomed," said Brandi with despair.

"We'll think of something," said Salamon

"Where are we supposed to meet NeoDevimon to make the exchange?" asked Michelle.

"The message from NeoDevimon said to meet him back in his castle," said Wizardmon.

"We have to think of something before he decides to take more drastic measures to get what he wants," said Gabumon.

"Who knows what he'll do to the guys. We should just hand over the crests," Ann put in worriedly.

"But if we do, the Digital World is doomed," added Hawkmon.

"Ann's right. We should hand over the crests because that's what he wants," said Albert with a smile.

"You got a plan?" asked Gaomon.

"Yeah but we're gonna need Wizardmon's help plus a little luck."

"I'll help in any way I can," said Wizardmon. The group huddled together to discuss the plan Albert formed. After deliberating for a bit, they agreed and took off for NeoDevimon's castle.


	31. Ch 31 Deception

_**CH. 31Deception**_

Cody awoke to find that he was now in a dungeon. A series of bars locked him in the rather large cell. When he tried to move his arms, he found that they were bound to the wall. Cody looked around the room. The others were bound to the wall in the same manner. All their partners were bound in black chains on the ground. He tried to speak but couldn't muster the words. Something was draining his strength. Cody looked over to his left to see Leomon chained as well.

"Leomon… We found you…" said Cody weakly.

"Save your strength Cody. These chains are called Nightmare Chains, they drain anybody who's tied in them of their energy," said Leomon.

"Think the others… will come?"

"Have faith in them. They wouldn't let you down." The two of them heard a door open then slam shut. SkullSatamon walked in with several Bakemon, each holding more chains.

"It's show time!" he laughed.

Outside of the castle wall, Wizardmon and the remaining Digidestined appeared. Albert had a bag thrown over his shoulder. They stood before the castle gate. The gate slowly swung open. They moved forward through the castle courtyard into the castle's massive main throne room. A long red carpet lead up to the main throne. Marble pillars held the high ceiling up while two stair cases on the sides of the room lead to an upper level. Many large windows let some light into the room. NeoDevimon sat upon his throne while SkullSatamon and Witchmon stood by his side. A large red curtain was behind them.

"I'm glad you brats could make it. Now if you would be so kind as to hand me the tags and crests then..." started NeoDevimon.

"Where are you keeping the guys?" yelled Brandi.

"So impatient but if that is what you want. SkullSatamon" said NeoDevimon. SkullSatamon pulled a long yellow rope, causing the curtain to fall to the ground. There were eleven pillars revealed behind NeoDevimon on the second level of the room. Leomon was tied to the center one while the guys were tied on the adjacent pillars next to their partners. Cody, Agumon, TJ, and Veemon were on the right while Javi, Monodramon, Andrew, and Guilmon where on the left. They all appeared to still be weak from the chains effect.

"What did you do to them?" cried Ann.

"Nothing. Nightmare chains have an interesting effect, they drain the energy out of their victims," said Witchmon, flying into the air on her broom stick. The group just growled a bit then Albert stood forward.

"We have what you want so just let them go," said Albert.

"Excellent. You brats are wise to do as I say," said NeoDevimon, rising from his throne.

"Albert… don't… don't give him the tags and crests," said Cody weakly.

"Shut up," Witchmon said, giving Cody a quick hit with her claws. Cody winced in pain and let out a small cry of pain.

"That was un called for," Winona objected.

"So what? Look who's in power here," laughed NeoDevimon.

"You're such a coward. Why don't you fight without hiding behind hostages," growled Gaomon.

"I am the King of the Digital World or will be king as soon as I have to power of the crests," said NeoDevimon.

"Kings, we'd never bow down to you," said Gabumon.

"Doesn't matter now. If you don't want your friends to be killed, then hand over the tags and crests," said NeoDevimon, holding out his hand.

"Sorry Cody, but there is no other way," said Albert, handing over the bag. NeoDevimon took the bag and looked over its contents. He let out a growl then threw the bag to the ground.

"What do you take me for, an idiot?" said NeoDevimon angrily.

"But those are the real crests," said Albert.

"Yeah, those are really the tags and crests," put in Michelle.

"How did you know they were the fake ones?" asked Brandi.

"Brandi!" cried the group altogether

"Cause you just told me. I've seen Wizardmon's little duplication trick before so I know that you'd give me a set of fakes trying to deceive me," said NeoDevimon. Albert was taken aback by this. "Hand over the real ones," The guys still tied above let out a sigh. It was a brave attempt.

Albert walked over to Wizardmon, who handed him another bag from beneath his cloak. He walked back toward NeoDevimon and handed him the bag. NeoDevimon looked into the bag and laughed.

"Now that you kids are helpless, I can take over the Digital World without any resistance. Witchmon and SkullSatamon, destroy them all!"

"Now guys!" yelled Albert.

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

"Howling Blaster!" cried Garurumon, distracting NeoDevimon and his minions.

The group all climbed onto their partner's backs, Brandi riding with Albert. Gatomon leapt up into the air and nimbly grabbed the bag on the ground, then threw it to Albert. Albert grabbed the bag and pulled out all the tags and crests. He tossed them to the others, who put them on quickly. Their Digimon leapt up the second level and stood with the guys still chained up. They climbed off their partner's backs. Michelle stepped up and placed the other's tags and crests around their necks.

"Blast Rings!" said Aquilamon, destroying the chains that bound the guys. Each of the free Digidestined grabbed the captured Digidestined and supported them till their strength came back. The group handed the captured group their Digivices back.

"But how did you… I thought that those were the fake ones…." said NeoDevimon.

"We weren't lying when we told you that the first bag held the real tags and crests," said Michelle.

"We knew that you'd try and pull a fast one on us so we pulled a fast one on you by giving you the real crests first," said Ann.

"You would obviously think that they were fake and get rid of them," Winona added.

"So we gave you the fakes next and you fell for it," said Brandi.

"So while you thought you had the real ones, we knew you'd try to get rid of us so we took advantage of the situation to free the others. Pretty smart huh?" smiled Albert. Cody, leaning on Albert, was surprised to see this whole plan come together.

"But you said that those were the fakes," said NeoDevimon.

"Anything to make you believe the lie," smiled Gatomon, standing by Brandi.

"Why you little, conniving brats!" snarled NeoDevimon.

"You're toast NeoDevimon," said Andrew, standing on his own.

"You though that the ones we left behind were weak but you were wrong," said Javi, regaining his strength.

"They may not be as strong as us but they make up for it in many other ways," said TJ.

"That's what makes us a team," said Cody. They gripped their Digivices.

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

"We'll get rid of you once and for all!" said the group together.


	32. Ch 32 True Courage

_**CH. 32 True Courage**_

"You brats, Stun Claw!" cried NeoDevimon, outstretching his hand quickly.

"Nova Blast!" Greymon yelled, attacking NeoDevimon. The flames spread all along the dark Digimon's body.

"Skull Hammer!" said SkullSatamon, swinging his staff.

"Striking Barrage!" Strikedramon countered, evading the attack and releasing a flurry of punches on the other Digimon. SkullSatamon was knocked back on to the ground.

"Poison Storm!" yelled Witchmon, releasing a purple, toxic cloud.

"Spiral Blow!" said Gaomon, sending the toxic cloud back toward Witchmon.

The three dark Digimon were outnumbered three to one. Their odds of success were very low.

"Any ideas boss?" asked SkullSatamon.

"Crush them you idiot!" yelled NeoDevimon.

"Skull Hammer!" said SkullSatamon, attacking Gatomon. Gatomon could easily evade all his attacks. "Stay still you little fur ball!"

Gatomon seemed to be enjoying herself dodging all the attacks "This is fun but… Lightning Claw!" Gatomon struck SkullSatamon, sending him crashing into one of the pillars. The battle continued between the two groups.

"Albert, how did you know this was all gonna work out? Weren't you scared at all that this wouldn't work at all and that you had to face the darkness?" asked Cody, turning to Albert mid-battle.

"Truth is, yeah, I was terrified to have to face NeoDevimon but saving you guys seemed more important. I know that I can sense the darkness and it terrifies me but when I heard that you guys were captured, I just knew that I couldn't be scared. I faced NeoDevimon not knowing what would happen and… well you can see where this went."

"That took courage dude."

"I just put myself in the positions you and TJ put yourselves everyday when we come to the Digital World. I have you two to thank for giving me courage," Albert replied.

"We always have your back, don't ever be afraid to try something of face some enemy," said Cody.

"And if you do something stupid like Cody here, just pick yourself up and learn from it," added TJ with a laugh after hearing their conversation. The three of them let out a laugh.

"Laughter… You brats dare to laugh at me!" said NeoDevimon, glaring at the three of them.

"The thing about that is, NeoDevimon, you don't scare us anymore," said Albert.

"We have got each other to help out," Ann said.

"If one of us falls, there will be another person to help pick them up," Michelle added.

"You may think you big and bad but you're really nothing," put in Andrew.

"I am all powerful. I am a true master of darkness!" NeoDevimon retorted.

"No you're not, you just gave yourself that title to feel special," laughed Javi.

"I am all powerful! I am a king! You brats have no idea what you're dealing with!" barked NeoDevimon. He lifted his hands into the air, creating a dark aura surrounding his body. NeoDevimon's eyes glowed in a darker red color. His body almost turned completely black as the darkness began to surround him. The amount of power coming to NeoDevimon caused the castle to rumble and collapse.

Albert began to stutter, "The darkness is growing stronger. I don't know what he's doing but that energy is manifesting itself as one body."

"So how do we beat it?" asked Andrew.

"I have no ide…" started Albert, but began to cough violently again.

"Oh no, not now…." said Brandi.

"What's wrong?" asked TJ.

"The virus is back. We need to get Albert back home so he can get his medicine," replied Brandi.

"Ok, let's get out of here," said Cody.

Cody helped get Albert on to Gaogamon's back. The group began to exit through the castle doors, Leomon and Wizardmon close behind. They reached the court yard area when suddenly the gate doors sealed themselves. The castle behind them crumbled, revealing NeoDevimon covered in a dark aura.

"You're not getting away!" said NeoDevimon. SkullSatamon and Witchmon were still standing by his side.

"The darkness within his heart has given him more strength," said Leomon.

"We need to defeat him before he gathers more power," added Wizardmon.

"Albert needs to get out of here," TJ replied.

"That isn't going to happen as long as he's around," Javi pointed out.

Cody clenched his tag and crest in his palm. He began to march forward and stood by Greymon, holding hid tag and crest tightly. "You know what, you may be getting stronger but I swear you're going to be the one to fall. You don't scare me, Albert, or anybody else here."

"Oh really?" asked NeoDevimon with a laugh.

"Yeah really, as long as Greymon is with me, nothing can stop us, I'll face you no matter how powerful you get!" yelled Cody. His crest began to glow brightly. Cody looked at his tag. The symbol on his tag was glowing in a bright red light.

"Cody… I can feel more power surging through me" said Greymon as a red aura formed around his body.

"What's this?" said NeoDevimon.

_Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

MetalGreymon appeared to look the same as Greymon but with metal armor on his head, left arm, and chest. A set or purple wings grew from his back with what appeared to be red hair growing from under his metallic helmet. MetalGreymon let out a loud roar, shaking the entire area.

"MetalGreymon?" said Cody.

"You tapped into the power of your crest," Wizardmon explained.

"The valor you felt deep within your heart caused Greymon to Digivolve to the next level," Leomon added.

"No matter what your level is, I'll still crush you," laughed NeoDevimon.

"MetalGreymon, take him out!" yelled Cody. NeoDevimon outstretched his arm in preparation to attack. Metal Greymon jumped back and took aim.

"This'll make sure that you never attack the Digital World again, Giga Blaster!" yelled MetalGreymon, leaning back. The metal armor on his chest opened up to launch two missiles at NeoDevimon. They missiles collided with the dark 'master,' causing a huge explosion. The light from the explosion cause the group to shield their eyes. Once the light subsided, the group looked to see that NeoDevimon was no more.

"We did it!" yelled Cody. MetalGreymon let out another roar. The ground began to shake as a large, mass of darkness began to spiral around forming an orb.

"I'm not gone children. I will be back, one day I will be back…" echoed an ominous voice. The dark mass formed an orb and floated into SkullSatamon's hand. SkullSatamon and Witchmon took off flying as far away from the scene as they could.

The group just watched as the two evil Digimon left off. All the teams' Digimon returned to their rookie forms, Gaogamon remained in his form so Albert could have place to rest, while MetalGreymon reverted to Koromon. Cody caught Koromon in his arms.

"That was amazing little buddy," said Cody with a smile.

"Can I get something to eat? I'm hungry…" said Koromon. The group laughed.

"So what now Leomon?" asked TJ.

"NeoDevimon is not fully defeated so you kids are still needed," said Leomon.

"Now that you have your tags and crests, you need to learn how to harness the power of the crests to help your partners Digivolve to the ultimate level," added Wizardmon.

"We need to get Albert home fast," Brandi put in. The group turned to Gaogamon, who was looking back at Albert. Albert slept silently on his partners back looking quite comfortable.

TJ just laughed "Well what do you know, he slept through the whole thing."

The group laughed a bit and headed back home to the real world. Leomon headed out to find information on NeoDevimon's location while Wizardmon returned to the Village of Beginnings to take care of the baby Digimon.


	33. Ch 33 Halloween Night

_**CH. 33 Halloween Night**_

There was an unusual chill in the air this day. The fall season was not yet over but something odd was in the air. The leaves still littered the ground of the real world. The school day went by rather quickly for once. The group met once again at the lake. Some of the Digimon partners looked on to their human partners with confused looks.

"Why are you dressed like that?" asked Agumon, looking at Cody.

"Cause it's Halloween buddy." His outfit resembled that of a knight with pieces of grey armor, a chain mail underneath, and a sword on his back.

"What's Halloween?" asked Veemon.

"It's a night where a bunch of kids go from house to house asking for candy. For us older kids it's a night to enjoy ourselves," said TJ, who was wearing a cowboy get up consisting of denim jeans, an older battered shirt, brown cowboy boots, and a tan colored cowboy hat.

"Sounds like fun," said Salamon with a smile.

"It is," said Brandi, wearing a pink dress looking like that of a princess. A silver tiara was on her head.

"So I guess you're going to enjoy yourselves tonight then?" Monodramon asked.

"Yeah, I think we deserve a break after taking out NeoDevimon," said Javi. His costume was a tuxedo, his trumpet in his hands, giving off an aura of the professional musician.

"Can we come with you guys too?" asked Guilmon.

"Well everybody is in costume tonight…" started Andrew. His costume was resembled that of a scientist consisting of a white lab coat, a fake pair of glasses, and his hair messed up completely.

"Where would we go though?" Hawkmon asked.

"There is a carnival in town tonight and for this night only," said Ann in though. She was dressed as an angel with a white dress, a set of white wings, and a halo over her head.

"Would we be noticed?" asked Renamon.

"Not really, we'd just say that you are in costume and make something up like your our cousin or something," said Winona; she wore a black cloak around her and held a scythe, appearing as the grim reaper.

"Then can we go?" asked Gabumon.

"I don't see why not," said Michelle, who was in a witch's costume. Her costume was a black dress, black witch's hat, and a broom in her hand.

"I think we would benefit from so R and R," added Gaomon.

"You guys sure do," said Albert. He was in a set of blue robes with a blue night cap. Albert's costume resembled that of a wizard as the robes had different patters imprinted on them.

The group agreed and headed for the carnival in town. Whenever asked about their Digimon partners, the Digidestined would only say that they were some family members that they had agreed to help take out for the night. The carnival was filled with many other people in various costumes. The rows of booths and stalls provided many types of foods and items to buy. Several games were set up along the sides of the booths. Many lights were hung overhead to illuminate the area.

"I think I want to stay here for a while," said Guilmon, eyeing the food. The delicious aroma was too much for him to resist. Andrew shrugged and went with his partner to check out what food the carnival had to offer.

The group continued through the carnival. Several of the games caught the eyes of a few members of the team.

"I think I'm gonna try some of these games out" said Albert, strolling over to the various games set up. Gaomon followed behind him, interested in what these games had to offer.

"Wait for me!" said Ann, heading over with Albert as Hawkmon followed her.

"Us too," Winona called out, pulling Renamon behind her.

"Us three," said TJ and Veemon, following behind them. The group found another stall selling many pieces of jewelry and other types of trinkets. Brandi couldn't help but look on with awe as the gems sparkled in the light.

"We'll be happy here," said Brandi. Salamon leapt into her arms to see the items clearly.

Cody, Javi, and Michelle were all that was left of the group with their partners. They approached a building covered in black tarps. A haunted house sign hung above an entry way with a person standing by the door taking tickets.

"This looks fun," Cody said.

"Maybe I should go with Brandi or maybe Albert…" said Michelle nervously.

"What's the matter Michelle? You're not scared are you?" mocked Javi.

"No," replied Michelle quickly.

"Then go in there then and prove it," said Agumon with a smile.

"I will then," she said, marching forward with Gabumon. She let out a gulp in fear and stood before the doorway. Michelle paid the person and began to enter.

"I give her five minutes," said Monodramon.

"I give her five seconds," laughed Javi.

"I say she won't even go in and back out," added Cody.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," said Gabumon as the two entered a dark hall. Spider webs covered the walls with what appeared to be slime oozing down to the floor.

"I want to. How scary can it be? I've seen worse in the Digital World," said Michelle with a bit of confidence. She ventured forward down the hallway. The halls grew darker and darker the further she entered. Many pictures were set up to scare her.

"This isn't so bad," laughed Michelle nervously. Michelle froze when she felt a cold claw grab her shoulder. She gave a sudden start, and took off running, full speed, through the halls of the haunted house. It didn't matter what got in her way, she just ran through, Gabumon behind her, trying to keep up. She could hear a set footsteps behind her. Michelle reached the exit and happily burst through outside. She gasped for air when she realized that she was safe. Michelle turned to see Cody, Agumon, Javi, and Monodramon laughing as they exited the house.

"What's so funny?" asked Michelle

"You are," laughed Javi.

"You didn't have to run. I was just me," said Agumon, holding up his claw.

"That was too funny watching you run through those halls," said Cody, laughing.

"It was you guys," glared Michelle.

"Yep, did we scare you?" asked Monodramon innocently.

Michelle just glared at the group and continued to the carnival area. The guys followed her into the main part. After finding the others, they exited the area with the booths and found a quieter place to talk. Michelle was still fuming mad when they were all together.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Brandi, now wearing a gold-colored tiara. Salamon wore Brandi's silver tiara on her head and a gold necklace around her neck.

"She's mad cause Cody and Javi scared her in the Haunted House," explained Gabumon.

"You guys are jerks!" said Michelle.

"You should have come with us. The food is good," said Guilmon, taking a bite out of a corndog in his claw. Andrew held an orange ice cream cone in his hand.

"Look what we won!" exclaimed Ann, holding up a small teddy bear dressed up like a witch. Winona had one as well in her hands. Albert had a white colored, wolf like stuffed animal in his arms while Gaomon held the same looking stuffed animal but in a grey color.

"Aww... those are cute!" said Brandi, admiring the dolls.

TJ carried a bigger stuffed animal on his back. The pumpkin-costumed bear was almost as big as Ann.

"How'd you get that?" asked Michelle, not as angry as she once was.

"Test of Strength," answered TJ with pride.

"Nobody is stronger than TJ," added Veemon in excitement.

Cody let out a small laugh. "TJ, I'll take you on."

"Then let's go see then bro," TJ replied. The two of them headed back for the carnival with their partners behind them. Ann, Hawkmon, Javi, Monodramon, Brandi, and Salamon decided to go with them.

"I'm think I'm going home for the night. See you guys tomorrow," said Winona leaving as Renamon followed her.

"I'll walk with you," said Andrew. Guilmon looked unhappy to leave the carnival but followed none the less.

Michelle and Albert were left standing alone together with their partners. Albert handed the stuffed animal in his arms to Michelle. Michelle took the doll in confusion.

"You can have it. I won it off a game of chance. Guess my luck is good tonight," laughed Albert.

Michelle took the doll. "Thanks."

"We could always win another," said Gaomon with a smile.

"Want to go see more of the carnival?" asked Albert.

Michelle nodded with a smile. The two of them entered the carnival together with their partners close behind.

"_So where is this Lord of Darkness Myotismon?" asked Witchmon, following SkullSatamon. The two of them were flying high in the night sky of the Digital World._

"_Lord Myotismon lives in a mansion not too far from here. He will know what to do about the Digidestined brats…" answered the other dark Digimon._


	34. Ch 34 Return of Darkness

_**CH. 34 Return of Darkness**_

Time moved quickly as the days passed. The fall season was ending as the trees remained bare of their leaves. The drops in the temperature were evident as the group meet at the lake, most of them wearing jackets to keep warm.

"So what are we going to do now that NeoDevimon has bitten the big one?" asked TJ.

"He's not dead yet, his dark energy is still in the Digital World. We do know that we destroyed his physical form though," said Winona.

"Albert, you can sense dark energy right?" asked Cody.

"Yeah, I don't like it but I can sense it," answered Albert.

"Then we just travel to the Digital World till Albert eventually picks up on that energy again," Cody reasoned out.

"We need to learn how to get our crests to glow so our partners can Digivolve to the next level so going to the Digital World would help with the training," thought Michelle.

"Then let's go and explore the Digital World already," said Javi, pulling out his Digivice.

The group nodded and pulled out their Digivices. Winona selected a location on the screen at random and the group was off with their partners in tow once the Digiport was open. Instead of falling onto the ground like always, they were able to land on their feet. The group surveyed the area to find that they were in a forest this time. The sky showed a light pink color as the sun was setting. A few mountains were seen in the distance.

"Where are we this time?" asked Brandi.

"This is the Evergreen Forest if I remember correctly," Hawkmon replied.

"It looks peaceful to me," said Ann.

"And yet when we say that you know something is going to attack us," sighed Andrew.

The group laughed a bit then explored the forest for a bit. The air was fresh in the forest and the smell of pine filled the air. An eerie silence filled most of the forest as the group progressed. They stopped when they reached a giant mansion at the base of one of the mountains. It appeared to be in well-kept shape and very elegant in style. Several pillars were visible on the porch of this place.

"Think we should go in?" asked Veemon

"Sure, what's the worst that could happen?" said TJ.

"Never say that, things can always go wrong," added Brandi.

The group slowly approached the mansion's massive double doors. Cody pulled up the knocker on the door and knocked to see if anybody was home.

SkullSatamon and Witchmon reached the mansion of Myotismon. They entered and made their way through the very elegant interior of this place. They found Myotismon sitting in the dining room enjoying a quiet meal.

"My Lord Myotismon., we bring news of NeoDevimon's demise" said SkullSatamon.

"This I know SkullSatamon. Did you bring his Digital Essence?" asked Myotismon, rising from his seat.

"Yes I did," answered SkullSatamon, pulling out the black orb NeoDevimon created from his dark energy. Myotismon took the orb into his hands, which quickly vanished into the Digimon's palm.

"Yes, he was a fool but this energy will do. Now then, you two are under my control and will obey my every order. If you dare to defy me you will be destroyed and I will enjoy feasting on your Digital Energy, under stood?"

The two dark Digimon gulped and nodded nervously. The three dark Digimon heard a loud knock on the front door. Myotismon let out a small laugh.

"Our guests have arrived. I guess I should introduce myself to them."

"I guess nobody is home," frowned Agumon.

"The door is locked so we can't get in," sighed Cody.

The group turned towards the forest and started walking away, until they heard the doors to the mansion swing open. SkullSatamon and Witchmon suddenly appeared before the group, blocking their return. They saw another unknown Digimon appear from the double doors, walking out slowly. This Digimon looked partly human but had a pale colored face. He looked to be dressed an upper class manner and had a long black cap on his back. Andrew scanned the Digimon "Myotismon, an undead type Digimon who is known as the Lord of Darkness. This guy is no joke; his attacks include Grisly Wing, Crimson Lightning, Nightmare Claw, and Nightmare Wave. We'd better be on guard."

"So your little gadget knows of me. I am Myotismon, Lord of Darkness."

"NeoDevimon was nothing compared to Myotismon," mocked Witchmon.

Albert was shuddering a bit when Cody took notice. "You alright Albert?"

"This guy is no joke, the darkness in him is great," said Albert now shivering.

"So you're the child who can sense the darkness. That means your crest of purity can be a real big problem for me. I think I'll destroy you first," laughed Myotismon, raising his arm into the air.

"Let's see you get to him!" barked Gaomon, ready for battle.

"With pleasure, Crimson Lightning!" said Myotismon, creating a long red glowing rope from his hand. Myotismon launched it forward, striking Gaomon in his chest and knocking him far back. Albert ran to his partner's aid then held his unconscious Digimon in his arms.

"Gaomon, wake up. Please wake up," said Albert, shaking his partner. He got no response.

"And now to get rid of both of you," said Myotismon.

"You're going to have to get through us first," said TJ.

"We're not going to let you get him," added Cody.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

"So this is the team semi complete," said Myotismon, examining the team of Digimon "This will be fun."

"Foxtail inferno!" said Kyubimon, sending out a series of blue flames.

"Crimson Lightning!" said Myotismon, destroying the flames with his whip.

"No way…" said Winona in disbelief.

"Blast Rings!" said Aquilamon, letting out a series of red rings. Myotismon blocked them all with his whip as if nothing.

"Lightning Paw!" said Gatomon.

"Striking Barrage!" said Strikedramon. The two Digimon attacked at the same time. Myotismon moved his arm quickly, knocking the two Digimon to the ground.

"Allow me to try something, Grisly Wing!" yelled Myotismon, leaping back. He opened his cape wide and released a stream of bats to attack the teams' Digital partners.

They all returned to their rookie forms except for Greymon, who withstood the attack. Cody and Greymon still stood firm.

"I know of you, you're the one who destroyed NeoDevimon. The so called Leader of the group," said Myotismon.

"Yeah, I am. Let's see you pick on somebody stronger than you," said Cody, his crest beginning to glow.

_Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

MetalGreymon let out a loud roar but Myotismon didn't seem to be impressed.

"Giga Blaster!" said MetalGreymon, releasing two giant missiles from his chest. Myotismon simply held out his palm, causing the two missiles to stop in mid air right before him. The attack simply disappeared into bits of data. The group stood frozen.

"Crimson Lightning!" said Myotismon, striking MetalGreymon. MetalGreymon returned to his rookie form like the others.

"Now to get rid of you brats once and for all. Grisly Wings!" Albert's crest suddenly began to release a bright white light. Myotismon shielded his eyes from the light.

"Darn it. I knew he would be the problem. You two, let us retreat for now. They already know who is the strongest," said Myotismon. The trio disappeared quickly.

"Why'd they leave?" asked Cody.

"I have no idea" said TJ.

"I think my crest may be the answer," said Albert, holding his crest in his palm.

"Let's head back before Myotismon returns," said Andrew. The team all agreed and left the scene quickly, some still carrying their partners.


	35. Ch 35 Over the River

_**CH. 35 Over the River**_

It was dark again as it always was here. Albert walked down a solitary path alone. He looked forward to see a light shining, but it slowly faded away. Albert would run toward it but the light seemed to move further and further away, slowly fading from existence. An eerie laugh could be heard behind him. He ran even faster now, the voice still behind him laughing. Albert ran.

"Gaomon… Cody… Agumon… TJ… somebody,… anybody… Help!"

Albert woke up in a cold sweat and shook his head. Wanyamon Digivolved to Gaomon the second he heard Albert yell out.

"Another nightmare?" said Gaomon.

"Yeah," sighed Albert.

"You were doing so good these past few days."

"I know… I thought once NeoDevimon was gone, I could sleep peacefully. I think Myotismon's darkness is affecting my dreams," said Albert, laying back down. Gaomon did the same right by his side.

"Need me to Digivolve to Gaogamon so you feel safer?" asked Gaomon.

"No that's ok. Your fur is softer when you take that form and I feel safer but you don't have to. You do make a good pillow though," smiled Albert.

"That smile is what I like to see. Let's go back to sleep, we have another full day tomorrow." Albert just laughed as the two of them returned to their dreams.

The group met the next day at their usual spot at the lake. Their partners greeted them in the usual manner. Winona opened up her laptop and pulled up the map of the Digital World and opened a new message from Wizardmon.

"Let's see here. Wizardmon says that we need to learn how to get each of our crests to glow. He also says that the light from the crests seems to repel Myotismon which is why we have to learn ASAP."

"A vampire being afraid of light, should have seen this coming," sighed Javi.

"Where we going today?" asked TJ.

"This place looks good, it's called The Grand River," said Winona, clicking on a square on the screen.

"You guys are going to have to go without us. Me and Michelle have to get to choir practice," said Brandi.

"I need to practice my solo for the marching competition this Saturday," Javi added.

"So do I," put in Andrew

"I'll watch the computer I guess," Winona said.

"So that leaves me, TJ, Albert, and Ann," said Cody, pulling out his Digivice. The others did the same.

"Be back later guys. Digiport open." said TJ, holding his Digivice to the screen. The group was sucked through the screen to land on a grassy plain, the sky a deep blue over head. The group could see a massive gorge before them. Cody walked over to the edge and looked down the side of the cliff. A large river could be seen flowing at the bottom of the cliff.

"That's a long way down," gulped Agumon.

"No kidding," said Veemon, looking down the cliff side.

"It's not that far," Hawkmon added, flying over head.

"Easy for you to say, you have wings," laughed Ann.

Albert looked over to see a bridge swaying over the gorge. The bridge looked to be unstable, being made of mostly wood and any slight breeze would cause it to move. A forested area was visible on the other side of the gorge.

"Oh this looks so safe," mocked Albert.

"You think?" laughed Gaomon.

The group began to laugh but was cut off by a loud roar. They looked to see a large Digimon spring up from the ground. It resembled a triceratops but was black and had a dark green underbelly. Two black horns stuck up from his skull while another horn stuck up from on top of his nose. "Lord Myotismon wishes that I crush you worms."

Albert scanned the Digimon with his D-Dex "Triceramon, a dinosaur type Digimon, uses his two horns to perform his Tri-Horn attack."

"Tri-Horn Attack!" yelled Triceramon. A series of beams of red energy shot forth from each of his horns, sticking the surrounding area.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Agumon Digivolved to…. Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… Metal Greymon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon_

"You guys need to get to safety," said MetalGreymon.

"Leave him to us," added Veedramon.

"Where do we go? There's a cliff behind us," said Cody.

"Do you really have to ask?" sighed Albert, pointing to the old bridge.

The group nodded and Cody, being the leader, stepped on to the bridge first and slowly made his way across. Albert followed behind him, trying to avoid looking over the edge of the bridge. Ann looked at the bridge and shook her head.

"I can't do it. I can't walk across the bridge. I'm too scared," said Ann, shaking.

"I'll be right behind you Ann. Trust me, I won't let you fall off," said TJ. Ann just nodded slowly and began to make her way across the rickety old bridge. TJ followed behind her closely. The two were able to make it half way across while Albert and Cody made it to the other side of the gorge without any problems. Triceramon saw his chance and attacked the bridge.

"Tri-Horn Attack!" yelled the Digimon, releasing another stream of energy. The beams caused the bridge to sway back and forth violently. Ann held on to the side of the bridge in terror.

"Keep going Ann. I'm right behind you. Trust me, you'll be safe," TJ said reassuringly.

"Ok… I'll keep going," said Ann nervously. She continued to make her way across the bridge. She stopped when she felt solid ground beneath her feet. "I did it!"

"I told you, you just had to trust me." Another attack struck the bridge, causing one side to collapse. TJ was still on the bridge, holding on to the side.

"TJ!" yelled the group at once.

"I'll save you buddy!" yelled Veedramon, running to the bridge.

"You're too heavy and you can't fly!" yelled TJ, clinging to the bridge.

"Trust me. I'll think of something!" yelled Veedramon. TJ just nodded. The remaining parts of the bridge began to fall apart. The section TJ was hanging on to began to break apart, causing TJ to fall into the gorge. Veedramon dived in after him. TJ's crest began to glow a bright teal color.

_Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

AeroVeedramon had the same form as Veedramon, but with large red wings as well. His claws had now grown longer along with the horns on his head. The white part of his body seemed to extend to his other extremities. AeroVeedramon was easily able to fly down and catch TJ before he hit the ground. AeroVeedramon flew TJ back to the edge of the cliff where the group was standing.

"You Digivolved!"

"Yep, I'm AeroVeedramon now. Let me take this guy out," TJ's newly-Digivolved partner said, flying to Triceramon. Triceramon looked up at AeroVeedramon and released a few attacks. AeroVeedramon could easily dodge the attacks while in flight.

"Let me end this, V-Wing Blade!" said AeroVeedramon, flapping his wings. A wave of orange colored energy shot out from his wings and struck Triceramon, destroying him into bits of data.

AeroVeedramon returned to the side of the cliff where the Digidestined were standing and picked them up to carry them back to the other side. After being placed safely on the ground the teams' Digimon returned to their rookie forms while AeroVeedramon returned to his DemiVeemon form and landed in TJ's arms.

"Told you that you could trust me to find a way to save you," said DemiVeemon.

"Yeah, I never doubted you for a second," smiled TJ.

"Hey guys, I think I know how to get the crests to glow…." said Albert.

"Oh yeah, how?" asked Ann.

"When Greymon Digivolved it was because Cody felt his crest of valor's power. In this case, TJ felt the power from his crest of trust and it began to glow. When we feel the power of our crests, they begin to glow allowing our partners to Digivolve again. I think that is the secret to getting the crests to glow," he explained.

"Makes sense," said Gaomon.

"It does sound right. When we fought NeoDevimon I felt courage and valor flowing through me which gave me the strength to stand up to NeoDevimon," thought Cody.

"So then that has to be the way to get our crests to glow," put in Ann.

"And when you do that we can Digivolve," said Hawkmon.

"Yeah, looks like we don't have much left to do here. Let's head back home," said Albert. The group nodded in agreement and headed back for the real world.


	36. Ch 36 It Don't Mean A Thing

_**CH. 36 It Don't Mean A Thing**_

Javi, Ann, Albert and Andrew sat together in the stands, their partners hiding beneath their seats. All four of them were still dressed in their band uniforms, watching several of the other bands perform. They wore blue uniforms with black pants and a silver trim. The band currently on the field finished their performance and started exiting the field.

"You guys were better," mumbled Gigimon from under the seat.

"Shh… Not so loud," said Andrew.

"Think we'll take the top spot?" asked Ann.

"I think you guys will," Poromon replied confidently.

"It's so hot, you'd think that being in late fall, early winter would give us cooler conditions," said Javi, fanning himself.

"You guys just got off the field a little while ago. You're still tired," Hopmon said.

"Besides, you gave that solo in front of the crowd so you had to put in a lot of energy for everybody to hear you. Of course you're going to be tired and hot. These uniforms aren't helping either," said Albert.

"Yeah, relax and you'll cool off," added Wanyamon.

"I'm bored here watching these other bands. When are the results?" asked Javi.

"The results aren't until eight and the top three bands have their encore performances at nine. It's about four o'clock right now so we still have another four hours to wait," said Albert, checking his watch.

"Think we could fit a small trip to the Digital World?" asked Ann.

"We could but we need a laptop and a safe place to put it," Andrew replied.

"I have mine in my backpack on the bus…" put in Javi.

"Nobody is at the buses right now so we could be in and out within the allotted time," added Albert. The group smiled at the idea and quietly snuck out of the stadium stands with their partners hidden. They made it to the parking lot and found their bus. Once they managed to get inside, Javi pulled out his laptop and Albert brought up the Digital World screen. He then selected a region to visit.

"Digiport open!" said Javi, opening the portal. The group was sucked through the screen and dropped off in the Digital World. They were placed on top of a hill with green grass growing freely. They looked on the other side of the field to see an amphitheater carved into the side of the hill. Rows of stone seats were placed on the sides of the hill and a large stage was set at the bottom. The lights on the stage rivaled that of a stage on the real world. The sky showed that it was close to evening already.

"We leave one stage and come to another," sighed Javi.

"Well at least you don't have to perform," said Monodramon.

"Looks like they're having a show with the way all the equipment is set up," said Albert.

"Yeah I know, what is this place?" asked Ann.

"I think they call it the Hill Theater mostly because of where it is built," explained Gaomon.

The lights flashed on and illuminated the stage. The group took a seat in the stands to see if somebody or something would appear. Smoke filled the stage as an unknown Digimon rose onto the stage.

"Good evening lady and gentlemen. I'll be performing this evening. It'll be a show to die for. Dark Network!" said the figure on the stage. A ball of black energy was thrown to where the group was sitting. Albert and the team dodged out of the way in the nick of time.

"What's the big idea attacking us like that?" yelled Hawkmon.

"Well my lord gave me orders to take out a group of Digidestined pests who appeared in the Digital World. I'm here to give you a musical performance you won't forget. Dark Network!" said the Digimon again, throwing its black orb into the stands. The group dodged the attack as well. The Digimon finally made its physical form known from behind the smoke. It looked like a rather tall monkey with a pair of black sunglasses. It had a mixture of orange and white fur and held a microphone in his hand.

Andrew scanned the Digimon. "It's Etemon, a puppet type Digimon, he loves to use his Concert Crush and Dark Network attacks to fight his enemies."

"He doesn't seem to be such a good performer. He tries to blow up his crowd," said Guilmon.

"You pests will be giving your last performance here. Dark Network!" said Etemon, throwing another attack. The group dodged again.

"This is getting old," said Albert.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

The partner Digimon stood ready for a fight. They charged the enemy Digimon while he was still onstage.

"Let's see how you like being attacked. Blast Rings!" said Aquilamon, attacking Etemon from above with a series of crimson rings. Etemon dodged the attack.

"Spiral Blow!" said Gaogamon, releasing a cyclone. Etemon threw one of his orbs into the cyclone, disbanding the wind stream.

"Pyro Blaster!" yelled Growlmon, sending a red orb hurtling toward Etemon. Etemon met this attack with one of his own and cancelled it out.

"Come on kids, make me remember this performance!" laughed Etemon.

"This will be something you won't forget, Striking Barrage!" said Strikedramon, releasing a flurry of hits onto Etemon. Etemon was knocked onto the stage floor, but quickly jumped back on to his feet.

"So that's how you want to play. Then take this, Concert Crush!" yelled Etemon. Etemon's voice reached high pitched levels, causing the group to hold their ears in pain. They all fell to their knees holding their ears. The group's Digimon collapsed to the ground due to the sound of the attack.

"Don't you just love my harmonious voice?" laughed Etemon.

"That was the worst singing ever," mocked Strikedramon.

"Is that so? Well then, see as how you're already on stage with me I'll crush you first. Concert Crush!" The team was thrown to the ground again. Etemon seemed to concentrate this attack mostly on Strikedramon.

Javi held his ears in pain. The loud sound was too much for him to bear. "I need to help Strikedramon," he thought. Javi tried to calm down. Sound is music in some way no matter how you hear it, or so he believed.

Javi rose up from the ground and listened to the sound, focusing on the musical aspects of it. Amongst the chaos of the sounds, he could find and focus on a balanced note. He could then walk forward without being affected by the sound. Javi's crest began to glow in a bright green color. Strikedramon rose up off the ground, feeling a power growing within him.

_Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

Cyberdramon appeared to have a part dragon part human form. The Digimon was completely black with a silver colored visor on his head. Two sets of red wings grew from his back and he had more pieces of armor across his body. Etemon was surprised by the transformation.

"But how… My voice brings anybody to their knees…." said Etemon in confusion.

"Sound is music; me and my partner can listen to any sound and find the beauty in it. Your attack won't work anymore. Cyberdramon, take out his clown."

"Right, Desolation Claw!" said Cyberdramon. His right claw began to form a green aura around it. He dashed toward Etemon and slashed quickly with his claw. Etemon took a few steps back, holding his side.

"Aw cruel fate… You've been a lovely audience… goodnight…" said Etemon, bursting into bits of data. The teams' Digimon returned to their rookie forms and Cyberdramon returned to his Hopmon form. Javi walked over to his partner and picked him up to hold in his arms.

"You found the harmony in the chaos. Looks like music has helped you get your crest of harmony to glow," said Hopmon.

"Yeah, I just listened to that horrible sound and found the peaceful note in it. My crest fits me well," laughed Javi.

"Let's head back guys. They're going to announce the winners at the competition in half an hour," said Albert, checking the time on his watch. The team nodded in agreement and returned to the real world.


	37. Ch 37 A Wise Man Once Said

_**CH. 37 A Wise Man Once Said**_

Winona, Cody, Brandi, Michelle, and TJ were sitting at the lake with their partners waiting for the others to show up. The cold winter air blew around them as they tried to keep warm.

"So how did the others do at the competition?" asked TJ.

"I don't know. I couldn't understand Albert on the phone when I called him last night. There was too much noise in the back ground and he sounded rushed," Michelle replied.

"We can ask them now, here they come," pointed Cody. Albert, Javi, Ann, and Andrew returned to the lake with their partners in their arms. They were all smiling when they reached the rest of the group.

"So…" said the group altogether.

"So,,, we did it, we got first place!" exclaimed Javi. The four of them were smiling as everyone congratulated them.

"And we have more news, we took a quick trip to the Digital world and Strikedramon Digivolved to Cyberdramon after Javi got his crest to glow," put in Andrew.

"That's great guys and congrats on getting your crest to glow Javi," said Brandi.

"So are we going to the Digital World? I have a region I want to explore," said Winona pulling up something on her laptop. She picked a region rather quickly and showed the screen to the team.

"Let's go then. Anybody want to volunteer to stay and watch the laptop?" asked Cody, pulling out his Digivice.

"I will," Ann volunteered.

"I think I'll stay to get some homework done," Michelle added.

"Us too," said Andrew and Javi together.

"Ok then, let go guys. Digiport open!" said Winona, and the group was sucked through the screen and sent through to the Digital World. The group landed on the outside of what appeared to be an ancient Aztec-like pyramid. The building was made of grey stones that towered high into the sky. A door was open before them, leading into the interior of the building.

"Should we go in?" asked Brandi.

"Do you have to ask?" sighed Cody.

The group began to enter the ancient building with their partners close by their side. They were surprised to find that the interior had but one large room. Torches were on the sides of the walls, illuminating the room. A sky light above let in some light from the outside. More odd-looking symbols filled the sides of the room and were also inscribed onto the floor.

"Is this it?" questioned Veemon.

"There's nothing here," said Agumon

"Looks can be deceiving," put in Renamon.

"It reminds me of the Temple of Data," said Winona.

"Yeah it does look similar minus the whole maze and crazed Digimon chasing us," said Albert.

"I wouldn't say there isn't one here," Gaomon speculated.

The group surveyed the room until the only entrance to this room sealed itself shut. All the flames from the torches were extinguished by a swift wind. The symbols began to glow in an eerie green color. Several orbs of light illuminated the remaining parts of the room.

"Why can't we go somewhere peaceful for once?" groaned TJ.

"Hear me… Hear me…" echoed a voice.

"Where's that coming from?" asked Cody looking around.

"Hear me… Hear me…" repeated the voice.

"It's coming from up there" said Salamon looking upward to the roof. The group looked upward to see a completely robed figure slowly lowing itself to the group. It wore a dark brown cloak with another tan colored cloak on top. The figure's yellow eyes were all that was visible from its facial region.

Brandi scanned the Digimon with her D-Dex. "Wisemon, a Wizard type Digimon. He has two attacks called Pandora Dialogue and Eight Balls of Lust. There isn't any more data to this Digimon."

"Hear me Digidestined. Darkness will rise again to consume the worlds…" said Wisemon.

"That's it. Agumon…" started Cody.

"On it Cody."

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… Meta Greymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

The team surrounded the Digimon. Wisemon seemed to be unaffected by the teams appearance.

"Giga Missile!" said MetalGreymon, releasing an attack.

"V-Wing Blade!" said AeroVeedramon, sending a series of orange blades from his wings. Wisemon leapt into the air and dodged the attack. Gatomon leapt into the air after him trying to attack the Digimon but Wisemon easily maneuvered around each attack.

"Spiral Blow!" said Gaogamon, creating his spiraling vortex.

"Foxtail Inferno!" said Kyubimon. The two attacks combined together and struck Wisemon. The attack seemed to have no affect on this Digimon.

"That should have hurt him….." said Cody.

Wisemon floated back down to the ground and held out his hands, creating eight colored orbs that hung in the air around him. "Eight balls of Lust!" said the Digimon, launching the attack in multiple directions. Each orb struck each Digimon partner, sending them back against the wall.

"Hear me Digidestined… Darkness will consume the worlds… there is nothing you can do to stop it… you will fail."

Winona appeared to be annoyed by this Digimon. "How can you know what will happen? The future cannot be determined without some form of evidence to prove it. Just cause you say it does not make it true."

"You will all fail."

"No we won't. You can't prove it. Without anything to prove what will happen, you cannot prove that the darkness will win." Winona's crest began to glow with a bright purple light. Kyubimon could feel the power of the crest growing within her.

_Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

Taomon resembled Renamon but was much bigger in size. She now wore long purple and white robes with various symbols on them. Her appearance still did not strike fear in Wisemon.

"Darkness will…" started the Digimon.

"Will cover the worlds yeah we know. But until you can prove it with something, Taomon, you know what to do," Winona stated.

"Right," said Taomon. A large paint brush appeared into her hands. Taomon drew several symbols in the air. She then began to recite an incantation, causing the symbols to glow in a bright white color.

"This will show you that the darkness will not win. Talisman of Light!" said Taomon, sending a beam of white light toward Wisemon, who made no attempts to avoid the attack. The attack struck Wisemon and released a bright white light.

"Pandora Dialogue!"

"You should be gone" said Taomon in surprise.

"Darkness will rise, darkness will rise. The worlds will fall to the darkness. Your light will not pierce this evil. You can see this child of light. Let your heart be the first to fall…" said Wisemon. He was destroyed into bits of data when the light subsided. The team returned to their rookie forms as Taomon returned to Viximon and landed softly into Winona's arms. The main doors to the room opened, giving an exit to the outside.

"You logic and wisdom helped me Digivolve," smiled Viximon.

"Maybe they did get my crest right. The crest of wisdom does belong to me…"

"You ok Albert?" asked Cody, looking over to Albert, who appeared to be in thought.

"What? Yeah… let's get out of here…" The group nodded and left the temple, Albert still looking uneasy as they left.


	38. Ch 38 Wicked

_**CH. 38 Wicked**_

The weather was now becoming much colder now and the trees were completely bare. The team arrived at the lake and met with their partners. Wanyamon was no longer with the group nor did Albert show up with the team.

"Where's Albert?" asked Brandi.

"He said he wasn't feeling well so he went home and said to go on without him today," Ann told the group.

"I think I'll go check on him," said Cody.

"Me too," said Michelle. The two of them left the group with their partners nice and warm in their jackets.

"Who's going to stay and watch the computer?" asked Winona, setting up her laptop to the Digiport screen. She selected an area at random and turned to face the group.

"I'll do it," said Javi. The team of TJ, Brandi, Winona, Andrew, and Ann agreed then pulled out their Digivices. "Digiport open!" said Brandi as the group was sucked through the screen. They landed in an ominous looking area. They were surrounded by grave stones while an old looking chapel could be seen in the distance. The sky was a gloomy, grey color overhead.

"You can sure pick the areas we visit Winona," mocked TJ.

"I just picked it at random. How the heck was I suppose to know it was a graveyard?" she retorted.

"You could have looked at the picture on the computer screen or…" started Ann.

"Oh be quiet," sighed Winona. The group laughed a bit then started to explore this eerie area. The tombstones were all unmarked in this place. They reached a chapel on the other side of the creepy place. The building was in very poor condition. The stained glass windows were partly shattered and the paint was peeling off the walls. TJ examined the doors to the building and reached for one of the handles.

"Wait a minute! We know where this is going to go. Do we really want to go in there?" Ann asked.

"Come on Ann, where is your sense of adventure?" laughed TJ, opening the door. The interior of the building was just as in a terrible condition as the outside. The rows of seats were unorganized, the carpet below was ripped to shreds, and the light was dim.

"This place looks so inviting," said Veemon sarcastically.

"This place is so different from your church in the real world Brandi," said Salamon, leaping into Brandi's arms.

"I know, my church is so bright and cheery, this place is so dark and dreary."

"Who'd want to live in a dump like this?" wondered Guilmon out loud.

"Why I would my dear," laughed a dark-sounding female voice over head. A Digimon landed before the group at one end of the chapel. The Digimon had pale white skin, looked partly human, and had a black cloak enshrouding most of her body. Her eyes had an ominous red glow to them.

Ann scanned the Digimon with her D-Dex. "LadyDevimon, a fallen angel type Digimon, her Evil Wing attack can destroy her enemies."

"Man you're ugly," said TJ.

"I don't think you want to make said Digimon mad," said Hawkmon.

"You little… I'm glad Myotismon sent me to destroy you annoying thorns in my master's side. I'll enjoy ripping you to shreds!" said LadyDevimon. She flew high into the air and opened her arms wide. "Evil Wing!" said the Digimon, letting out a stream of bats toward the group. The team quickly dodged the attack and exited the building as LadyDevimon followed behind them.

"Not so tough now are you?" laughed LadyDevimon.

"We just need some room to grow," smiled Andrew.

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

The team now stood ready to attack. Lady Devimon let out her evil laugh.

"This will be fun. Evil Wing!"

Another stream of bats shot forth toward the team. They dodged the attack and retaliated with attacks of their own.

"Try this! V-Wing Blade!" said AeroVeedramon, creating a wave of orange blades and aimed at LadyDevimon. The attack was dispelled with one wave of LadyDevimon's hand.

"Why don't you come into the light, Talisman of Light!" said Taomon, summoning her paint brush. She quickly drew a series of symbols which created a beam of light to strike LadyDevimon. The dark Digimon dodged the attack and released another one of her Evil Wing attacks. Taomon was able to barely dodge the attack.

"Pyro Blaster!" said Growlmon, shooting off a red orb.

"Blast Rings!" said Aquilamon. The two attacks struck LadyDevimon, sending her to the ground. LadyDevimon quickly returned to the air and attacked the two of them with another Evil Wing attack.

Gatomon leapt nimbly into the air "Lightning Paw!" The attack collided with LadyDevimon, who grabbed Gatomon's tail and flung her to the ground. Brandi ran to her partner's aid. She held her fallen partner in her arms.

"Why, why do you go to her side? She is worthless," questioned LadyDevimon.

"She's my partner, I will always be by her side no matter what," answered Brandi.

"How could you care for such a pathetic insect?"

"I care for her like I care for all my friends and family. You, being in the dark all the time, would never see that."

"I think I'll destroy you first. Your words are sickening to me." LadyDevimon stretched out her claw.

"You don't understand the concept of love do you? How sad, you'll never feel affection for others or love…."

"Shut up. Those feelings are worthless. Prepare to be obliterated my pretty," LadyDevimon sneered.

Brandi's crest began to glow in a bright blue color. Gatomon began to awaken and rise up off the ground, feeling the power from the crest.

_Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

Angewomon gave off a radiating light from her white wings. An elegant pink scarf flowed around her body and pieces of white cloth covered her body. A solitary white glove appeared on her left hand. Angewomon flew up into the sky and faced LadyDevimon.

"And who are you blondie?" growled LadyDevimon.

"The one who will show you the light," Angewomon replied.

"Oh really? This will shut you up, Evil Wing!"

Angewomon took aim with her gloved hand. The glove formed a bow while Angewomon created an arrow. She put the arrow on the bow and pulled it slowly back.

"This will end your dark ways, Celestial Arrow!" said Angewomon, releasing the arrow. The arrow went straight through LadyDevimon's attack then shot through her. LadyDevimon was destroyed into bits of data. The team returned to their rookie forms while Angewomon returned to the form of Nyaromon, landing perfectly in Brandi's arms.

"Your love helped me Digivolve," smiled Nyaromon.

"Who knew my crest of affection could help you become an angel," said Brandi.

"Let's get out of here guys. Our work is done," said TJ. The group agreed and left the area quickly, still creeped out by the surrounding area.


	39. Ch 39 Desert Heat

_**Ch. 39 Desert Heat**_

The team met in full the next day at the lake. Their partners were tucked into their jackets to keep warm from the cold. Each gust of wind caused the whole group to shiver. Winona opened up her laptop as usual and picked a location.

"Who stays and who goes?"

"I have to go and help my dad at the ranch," said TJ.

"We have choir practice," Brandi and Michelle answered together.

"I'll stay then," sighed Winona.

"And we'll go," Albert added.

The group nodded at the idea. Andrew pulled out his Digivice to open up the Digiport. "Digiport Open!" said Andrew. The team was sucked through the screen and dropped off in a desert region. The temperature change was drastic for the team; they flinched as the hot desert air blew past. The sand seemed to stretch for miles and miles into the distance, the sun hot in the sky.

"Man, Winona can sure pick these areas," joked Javi.

"We go from freezing to being hot," said Cody.

"What is this place?" asked Albert.

"Scorched Desert if I'm not mistaken," Monodramon replied.

The team just moved forward and explored the area despite the hot temperature; most of them were fanning themselves to keep cool. The shifting sands seemed to slow the group down for a bit.

"What I'd do for a tall glass of cold lemonade right now…" started Javi.

"Shut up Javi," said the group as one.

"Try and keep your mind off of the heat," said Albert, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Mind over matter can be a powerful thing," said Gaomon.

"That's hard to do especially in the situation we're in," muttered Hawkmon.

"Ice cream… Cold Root Beer…" said Guilmon, licking his lips.

"Don't think about it buddy," said Andrew.

Cody looked forward to see what appeared to be a pool of water ."Look guys!"

"It an oasis," pointed Agumon in relief.

The group looked into the distance to see a pool of blue water surrounded by palm trees. Cody took off running with Agumon, Ann and Hawkmon behind him. Javi and Monodramon were the next to take off running to the pool.

"This is too good to be true. It has to be a trick," said Andrew.

"But Andrew… It looks so cool…" groaned Guilmon.

"It could be a mirage. You honestly believe that this is a trick?" asked Albert.

"Or a trap." added Gaomon. Andrew just nodded.

Albert, Andrew, and their partners approached the pool with caution. The others were ready to jump into the water at any second. Cody and Javi were already folding the top parts of their uniforms and putting them on the side of the water. They left their Digivices on top of the clothing pile. Ann was feeling the water in the oasis with her hand.

"This feels so good," said Ann, still running her fingers through the water.

"This can't be real," said Andrew.

"Maybe it is," Albert mused hopefully.

"Last one in has to find drinks for the rest of us!" exclaimed Cody as he dived into the pool of water, Agumon right behind him.

"Wait for me!" yelled Javi, jumping in after him with Monodramon..

"I wish I had a bathing suit," groaned Ann.

"This is a trick I know it," said Andrew, watching the guys.

"Are you sure?" asked Gaomon.

"He is, I would be able to smell the palm trees but I can't smell anything but sand," said Guilmon with a frown.

"So this is a trap," said Albert, right before the oasis disappeared, showing Javi, Cody, and their partners trapped in the sand up to their waist level. A Digimon rose up from behind the team, sand cascading off of it. The Digimon was tan and had many sharp blades on his body. It resembled a scorpion and had long tail that swung back and forth behind him, another sharp point on its tip.

Albert scanned the Digimon. "Scorpiomon, it's an insect type Digimon, his attack is Scorpion Storm. You were right Andrew. This was too good to be true."

"Well I caught two Digidestined and Digimon who could go to the ultimate level. You three should be easy to deal with" said Scorpiomon.

"We'll see about that," Gaomon countered.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon_

"Spiral Blow!" said Gaogamon, releasing a cyclone from his mouth.

"Blast Rings!" said Aquilamon, sending a series of crimson wings toward Scorpiomon.

"Pyro Blaster!" said Growlmon, sending off a red orb. The three attacks hit Scorpiomon dead on. When the dust from the attacks settled the group was startled to see that the Digimon was virtually unharmed.

"My shell is strong enough to with stand most attacks," laughed Scorpiomon. "Now watch a real attack! Scorpion Storm!" Scorpiomon rose up his body and created a sand storm attack the team's Digimon. The team collapsed onto the sand. Growlmon got back up and stood firmly in front of the rest.

"I would like to know how you knew this was all an illusion for me to capture and destroy you all…."

"Since the water was cool, so should the air be. When I didn't feel the change in temperature I knew that something was wrong. I know that if something was too good to be true then it probably is. You can't hide things with lies," said Andrew, his crest glowing in a grey light.

"I can feel the power from your crest," said Growlmon.

"You pests don't scare me, I get rid of you first kid," said Scorpiomon.

_Growlmon Digivolved to…WarGrowlmon_

WarGrowlmon was a much bigger form of Growlmon but now had pieces or red and grey armor on the upper parts of his body. He had armor on his arms and long blades on the sides while two jet engine like parts were attached to the armor on his chest region. A red mask hid the lower part of his face.

"Don't even think about harming Andrew. This will teach you, Atomic Blaster!" WarGrowlmon cried out, shooting two yellow beams from the armor on his chest. The beams struck Scorpiomon and destroyed him into bits of data. Once Scorpiomon disappeared, the sand holding the others faded away. They climbed out of the sand pit while Albert and Ann handed them their clothes. Their partners returned to their rookie forms while WarGrowlmon returned to his Gigimon form, landing on Andrews head.

"That was great buddy," said Andrew, taking his partner off his head and holding him in his arms.

"You crest of honesty helped me Digivolve. You saw through the lies of Scorpiomon's trick," smiled Gigimon.

"So what did we learn?" smiled Albert.

"Not to believe everything we see," sighed Javi.

"Let's head back home. It may be freezing cold but at least there are no Digimon trying to destroy us there," said Cody. The team laughed and headed back to their own world.


	40. Ch 40 Distress

_**CH. 40 Distress**_

TJ, Winona, Albert, Javi, Michelle and Ann showed up the next day at the lake after school. They were met by their partners, who hopped into their jackets for warmth from the cold air. Winona set up her laptop to find a new location.

"This one location should be fine," said Winona.

"Where are the others?" asked Ann.

"Cody is stuck in detention as far as I know, Brandi is doing something for her church, and Andrew is in the band hall with his section for practice," Albert replied.

"I think I'll stay here and study why you guys go. Me, Albert, and Cody have to make rounds tomorrow at the hospital. I want to be ready," said Michelle. The rest nodded in agreement with the idea.

"Let's go then, Digiport open!" said Ann, holding out her Digivice. The group was sucked through the screen and dumped in the Digital World on a grassy plain. A giant tower could be seen in the distance against a blue sky. A fresh sea breeze blew past the group.

"What's this location called?" asked Albert.

"This is Seaside Cliffs and that should be the Seaside Tower," replied Gaomon. The group began to head toward the tower. They froze when they heard a loud clanging sound from behind them. The group turned back to see a heavily armored Digimon following them, the armor reflecting the sunlight. It held a large sword and a shield was attached to its body, while a gold trim highlighted its armor.

Javi scanned the Digimon. "Knightmon, a warrior-type Digimon, uses his sword to perform his Berserk Sword attack. Can we help you?"

Knightmon lifted his head and dashed forward to grab Ann and continued onward for the tower. Ann dropped her Digivice onto the ground and screamed for help as Hawkmon flew after the two.

"What's his deal?" asked TJ as the group chased after him.

"I don't know. Why did he grab Ann?" asked Veemon.

"Think he wants to lead us into a trap?" said Winona.

"It is most likely a trap," Renamon agreed. The group continued after the Digimon, but they were not able to keep up with the creature.

Ann felt herself being thrown onto a cold stone floor. She picked herself up and saw that the room had only one door, a bed, and a small window. Ann looked out the window to see that she was on top of the Seaside Tower. She looked to the door to see Knightmon looking in on her.

"Why did you bring me here?" yelled Ann.

"You will be bait for the others, once they get here I'll destroy you all," answered Knightmon. He then left the door and returned to the bottom floor. Ann, with no other option, sat on the bed.

"Are you ok Ann?" asked a voice form the window. Ann was relieved to see Hawkmon flying near the window seal.

"Hawkmon, am I glad to see you! Digivolve and get me out of here," said Ann. She reached for her Digivice but was surprised to find that she no longer had it in her possession.

"Oh no, I dropped my Digivice," said Ann in despair.

"I think TJ may have picked it up. Don't worry, they others will come and rescue you," Hawkmon reassured her.

"For once I'd like to not be the damsel in distress. The others are always bailing me out of situations and then getting hurt cause of it."

"Don't you worry, just have faith that you will be rescued. It is you crest if you remember."

"Ok, but don't leave me."

"Wouldn't think of it. I'll stay flying here till the others arrive."

The others had just reached the base of the Seaside Tower, gasping for air. They looked up at the tower to see that it was taller than it had first appeared to be.

"Who knew a Digimon armored like that could move so fast?" panted Guilmon.

"I figured he would move slow. Oh well, I'm going to venture a guess and say Ann is up there," said Albert, pointing to the top of the tower.

"…and you would be right," said Knightmon, appearing from the doors at the base of the tower.

"Where's Ann?" asked TJ.

"Up in the tower, enjoying the view. Don't worry, she is safe for now. Once I get rid of you all, I'll get rid of her."

"We'll see about that!" said TJ.

_Gaomon Digivolved to... Gaogamon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

"Leave this guy to us," said AeroVeedramon.

"I can take Ann her Digivice but climbing the stair would take too long," said TJ, holding onto Ann's Digivice.

"Gaogamon, take TJ up the tower. Climbing the stairs would be easy for you to do. I'll watch your partner if you take care of mine," said Albert.

"Thanks Albert," said TJ as he jumped onto Gaogamon's back. Gaogamon rushed passed Knightmon and took off up the wide stair case.

Ann paced back and forth on the tower's highest level. She held her crest in her hand as she moved.

"The others are here and are fighting Knightmon. I hope they can defeat him," said Hawkmon.

"They can, I know they can. I can't give up on them. They came to rescue me and now they just have to get rid of him. I just have to stay calm and wait for one of them to come and get me. I know they will come," said Ann, now grasping her tag and crest in her palms.

"Ann… Ann… Where are you?" yelled a voice. Ann quickly recognized the voice as TJ's. She ran to the door to see TJ climbing off of Gaogamon's back.

"Your knight in shining armor is here to rescue you," laughed TJ, opening the door.

"Thanks TJ. I knew you would come."

"What, you were worried that nobody would come to rescue you?"

"I never gave up hope that somebody would come for me" said Ann. TJ handed her back her Digivice.

"Let's head back down and take out Knightmon," said Gaogamon behind them. TJ and Ann nodded and climbed onto Gaogamon's back for a quick way back down the tower. They reached the bottom floor to see the group in mid battle with Knightmon, who was holding his own quite well.

"You are formidable opponents. So you two have come back down," said Knightmon, looking at TJ and Ann.

"Yep, I never gave up on my friends coming to rescue me. I had faith that they would come."

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon_

"I never gave once gave up hope. I have faith in my friends just like how they have faith in me," added Ann. Her crest now glowed in a bright yellow color.

"I can feel your crest Ann. This power is incredible," said Aquilamon.

"I guess I will take you out now," said Knightmon.

_Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

Garudamon appeared to be a half-bird, half- human Digimon combination with crimson feathers. Her massive wings had yellow ends and she was covered in tribal markings. Garudamon was a lot larger than the other Digimon.

"A new opponent I see. This will cut you down to size, Berserk Sword!" said Knightmon, taking a swing with his large sword. Garudamon grabbed the sword with her large talons and destroyed it with ease.

"You tried to hurt my partner. You tried to scare her and lock her away. I will be the one to get rid of you. You won't hurt anybody anymore. Wing Blade!" said Garudamon, bringing her great wings together. A fiery aura appeared around her body then launched into the air, taking the form of a bird. The stream of energy collided with Knightmon, turning him into small bits of data.

Garudamon returned to her Poromon form while the others returned to their rookie forms. Poromon flew into Ann's arms.

"You're faith helped me Digivolve," said Poromon happily.

"My crest of faith was a great match for me," said Ann. The team nodded and started to head back to the real world gate.

"When can I ride Gaogamon again?" asked TJ in a playful manner.

"Once in a life time event buddy," laughed Albert.


	41. Ch 41 Swiftly

_**CH. 41Swiftly**_

Cody, Michelle, and Albert were walking the halls of the hospital day, performing their rounds. All three were in a set of navy blue scrubs. The day was getting long for them and they were getting bored. The three of them snuck away to an old, empty room in the hospital to see how their partners were doing.

"Please tell me we can leave soon, this place is boring," said Koromon.

"It's no picnic for us either," Cody replied.

"When can we leave?" asked Tsunomon.

"At about 7 o'clock or so. Sorry guys but we have to stay the whole day. I wish we could go somewhere, not like they even notice that we are here," sighed Michelle.

"We could…" started Albert pulling out his laptop form the backpack on his shoulders.

"… go to the Digital World!" finished Wanyamon in excitement.

"Think they'd notice if we were gone?" asked Michelle.

"They hardly notice we're here," smiled Cody, looking the door to the room. Albert selected a location on his laptop while the group pulled out their Digivices.

"Digiport Open!" They landed in an average forested region, and a mountain could be seen from their location.

"This is a good change of scenery," sighed Michelle. The three of them nodded and began to explore the region they had landed in.

"_Those brats, already seven of the nine crests have begun to glow. I have tried every effort to make sure their crests don't glow. Witchmon! SkullSatamon!" yelled Myotismon._

_The two Digimon appeared "Yes my Lord?"they asked in unison._

"_I want both of you to stop the last two Digidestined from getting their crests to glow. These will help you," said Myotismon, creating two black colored pins in the air. The pins floated down to Witchmon, who let out a small laugh._

"_I see what you want me to do. I think we can have some fun with this," Witchmon laughed._

"_Good, three of them are already here. Take care of them." The two Digimon complied and left the scene._

"There has been nothing here to do," said Cody, bored.

"Might be a good thing. Think about it, when have we ever come to the Digital World and not have to fight anything?" Albert asked.

"He has a point," said Gaomon with a smile.

The group halted when a stream of water struck before them. The three of them looked up to see Witchmon floating in the air on her broom.

"How could I have missed?" Witchmon asked nastily.

"It's you, you old hag!" Gabumon exclaimed.

"I'm not an old hag!"

"You are to us."

"Grr… I think I'll get rid of you three brats first then find you other friends and get rid of them," said Witchmon," taking aim with her hand.

"Yeah right," Cody countered.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

"Giga Missile!" MetalGreymon yelled, releasing his attack. Witchmon narrowly dodged the attack.

"Aquari Pressure!" said Witchmon, send out another attack of water from her palm.

"Howling Blaster!" said Garurumon, piercing the attack with one of his.

"Spiral Blow!" cried Gaogamon, striking Witchmon off of her broom. Witchmon landed on the ground with a loud thud but she rose up off the ground and began to twirl around.

"Heehee… Poison Storm!" Witchmon called out, and a cloud of purple gas surrounded her. The group backed away from the attack, knowing about the effects of the gas. Cody noticed something silver from the corner of his eye that flew right by Michelle, barely missing her.

"Why would she go after…" thought Cody. He quickly put things together and pushed Albert to the ground. Cody winced in pain as something struck his arm.

"What you do that for Cody? Cody?" said Albert, looking to see Cody collapsed on the ground.

"I missed my target but at least I got one of you," laughed Witchmon.

"What did you do?" yelled Michelle. Albert saw the black pin in Cody's arm and pulled it out quickly.

"Tried to get rid of you both. I missed you my pretty and the big hero just had to push that kid out of the way."

"Guys… I'm not… feeling too hot…" staggered Cody. Albert checked his vitals to find Cody's pulse racing and a fever developing.

"A gift from Myotismon, a Poison Quill. You buddy there has about an hour before the poison takes over his whole body and well, you know what that leads to."

"We need to get Cody out of here," said Albert.

"Leave that to me," said MetalGreymon. He used his Giga Missile attack to create a distraction for the group to use. Albert placed Cody on Gaogamon's back while Michelle got on Garurumon's back with Agumon after he reverted back to his rookie form. The two quickly left the scene of the battle. They ran through the forest till they found a small cave on the mountain side.

The team helped Cody into the cave and set him down to lie on the ground. Michelle tried to make him as comfortable as possible using her vest as a pillow for his head. Albert checked his watch and then Cody's vitals again.

"Great. His fever is getting worse and if what Witchmon said is true he has about 45 minutes left till… Cody you idiot, why'd you have to push me out of the way?" Albert stated.

"I… had to protect you… I promised you… remember…" stammered Cody.

"Cody, you need your rest. Think we should take him to the Real World?"

"The movement might cause the poison to move even faster through him. He has to stay here. I know we have anti-toxins back in the real world but we can't just leave him" Albert told her.

"What if one of you goes while the other stays?" suggested Gaogamon.

"That could work," Agumon agreed.

"Then let me go."

"How about I go Albert, you can probably take care of Cody better than me" Michelle countered.

"I have to be the one who does it. The doctors and nurses know me more at the hospital more so they won't question me in the pharmacy. Besides, Cody saved me so I have to do this. You're a great healer. You will be fine."

"But… Alright" agree Michelle hesitantly. Garurumon returned to his rookie form.

Albert jumped back onto Gaogamon's back "I'll be back soon. Take care of everybody Agumon and Gabumon."

"Will do," the two of them assured him in unison. Albert just smirked and took off back for the real world. The path back to where they had entered seemed to drag on but Albert and Gaogamon pressed forward. Albert found the opened Digiport and returned to the real World with Gaogamon, who reverted back to Wanyamon upon re-entry.

"Wait here." Wanyamon quickly nodded as Albert left the empty patient room. He sprinted down the hall of the hospital till he reached the pharmacy. Albert ran through the various bottle names till he found one that contained an anti-venom serum. He grabbed the bottle and placed it in a small first aid kit he found along with a set of bandages, and a syringe to administer the serum.

"This will do it," said Albert to himself. He began to run back down through the halls till he bumped into a figure.

"Sorry about that… I'm in a bit of a hurry… Winona?" said Albert in surprise.

"Albert?" Winona asked, just as surprised. Her back pack moved as if something were inside of it. Viximon poked out her small head.

"What are you doing here?" she added.

"Long story, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, my brother got a hold of some fireworks. You can see where this leads to. What do you mean a long story?" Albert explained the situation, Winona nodding in understanding through it.

"We'll come with you. You might need help," she said, ready to go to the Digital World.

"Thanks, let's go." The two of them raced back to the room where the laptop was set up and returned back to the Digital World.

"Just hang on a little longer Cody," thought Albert grimly.


	42. Ch 42 Race

_**CH. 42 Race**_

Michelle sat by Cody's side, watching and worrying. Every time she heard a sound she would look over to the entrance to the cave hoping Albert would be returning with the anti-venom. Michelle was panicking on what to do if Albert didn't come back in time. She heard something outside coming closer to the cave and looked to see Agumon returning with some water in a bucket.

"There's a stream close by, I found this bucket and this towel. I figured you could do something with them to help Cody." Michelle took the towel and folded it and then dipped the towel into the cool water in the bucket to place it on Cody's forehead. The cold might help slow down his rising temperature.

"Albert will come right?" Agumon asked.

"Yes he will. I know he will." Gabumon looked toward the mouth of the cave.

"We have trouble," he growled.

--

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

"Let's head back guys" said Albert on Gaogamon's back as Winona took her spot on Kyubimon's back.

"Race you there," smiled Winona, taking off.

"You don't even know where there is!" Albert yelled, taking off after her. The two of them raced through the forest as fast as their Digimon could take them. Several small bolts of lightning crashed before them, stopping them in their tracks. SkullSatamon laughed and flew down toward them.

"Ha. I knew if I waited I would find you coming back. I don't think you're going to save your friend in time."

"Keep going Albert. We'll hold him off," said Winona, jumping off of Kyubimon's back. Albert just nodded and dashed past SkullSatamon.

"Oh no you don't…" the Dark Digimon started.

"Fox Tail Inferno!" Kyubimon yelled, attacking SkullSatamon, who stopped the attack with a swipe from his staff.

"You're at the champion level. I'm at the ultimate level. You can't win."

"Oh really? Kyubimon, if you don't mind…." Kyubimon nodded.

_Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

"You were saying?" Taomon asked. The two of them began to fight one on one.

--

"I thought I'd find you here my pretty," said Witchmon, closing in on Michelle and Cody. Michelle took a spot in front of Cody and tried to protect him. Gabumon stood by her side.

"Pepper Breath!" cried Agumon, releasing his attack. Witchmon batted the attack away without any effort.

"Aquari Pressure!" Witchmon retaliated, striking Agumon with a torrent of water. Agumon landed right by Cody's side, now unconscious. "And now for you two…"

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon_

"Howling Blaster!" Garurumon sent Witchmon back out of the cave with his attack. Garurumon then charged after Witchmon to make sure she could no longer harm the others inside.

"Albert come back, I can't do anything to help Cody. I just can't…" started Michelle, tears beginning to run down her face.

"Yes you can... You're heart… is in the right place… you just… you just…" started Cody.

"Save your strength Cody" said Michelle, kneeling by his side. She wiped her tears then looked toward the cave opening. She ran to the entrance to see Witchmon in mid-battle with Garurumon.

"How about I give you the chance to run, I'll just kill the boy and his dinosaur."

"I won't run. Neither will Michelle. She would never abandon her friends. Her heart won't let her," growled Garurumon.

"Suit yourself. I'll get rid of you all. Aquari Pressure!" Another stream of water shot toward Garurumon and knock him into the cliff side. Michelle ran to her partner's side.

"Are you ok?" asked Michelle.

"I think I am…." Garurumon replied.

"You could run you know," said Witchmon as she approached.

"I won't run. The love and compassion for my friends won't let me leave them. As long as they need me to help them then I will be here to protect them," Michelle countered. At that, her crest began to glow orange.

"This will stop you. Aquari…" started Witchmon.

"Spiral Blow!" cried Gaogamon, knocking Witchmon into the air.

"Albert!" exclaimed Michelle. Albert jumped off Gaogamon's back and ran to Michelle's side.

"Let her have it you two."

"Right," said Michelle and Garurumon together.

_Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

WereGarurumon was a werewolf-type Digimon. He had a black cover on his left arm and a pair of ripped blue jeans. He appeared to more fierce looking than his previous form. WereGarurumon leapt quickly into the air; his speed had increased dramatically.

"I think you days of terrifying others are now over. Wolf Claw!" cried WereGarurumon as his left paw began to glow violently. A blue aura formed around his paw as he struck Witchmon directly. Witchmon busted into tiny bits of data. WereGarurumon returned to his Tsunomon form and landed in Michelle's arms. Gaogamon returned to his Gaomon form.

"Your compassion is what gave me the strength to take out Witchmon," smiled Tsunomon.

"The crest of compassion was a great match for me then," Michelle replied.

"Yep, you have a good heart. You might not have a lot of confidence in it but your heart is still strong none the less," assured Albert. The team quickly ran inside to help Cody. The two of them found that Agumon had regained consciousness and was sitting near Cody's side. His breathing had increased heavily. Albert opened the first aid case and took out the syringe and serum. He loaded the serum into the syringe them administered it to Cody.

"Will it work?" asked Agumon.

"Let's hope so," said Michelle. Cody's breathing began to slow down dramatically. Albert took off his tag and crest and placed them around Cody's neck.

"To save him from darkness, Crest of Purity, please help him," said Albert. The crest began to glow along with Michelle's crest and Cody's crest. The light got brighter and brighter till it finally subsided. Cody sat up off the ground as if he had never gotten hit with the poison quill.

"What happened?" asked Cody.

"Cody!" yelled Agumon, wrapping his claws around him.

"Ow, that hurts Agumon. Somebody want to tell me what is going on?" asked Cody, pushing Agumon off of him.

"You got poisoned by a quill Witchmon threw at you. Don't you remember?" asked Michelle.

Cody thought about it for a moment "Yeah… I can remember but it seems more like a dream. I just remember everything going dark then seeing a light which brought me back."

"Huh, I run all the way back to the real world, grab the anti-toxin, and run back for something my crest could have done," sighed Albert. "Wait a minute, Winona is fighting SkullSatamon, let's go help her." The team nodded and took off to help Winona and Taomon.

--

This fighting is useless. Myotismon will destroy you all," SkullSatamon sneered.

"That is what you think. Talisman of Light!" said Taomon summoning her paint brush. She drew a series of symbols in the air. They formed a ray of light that pierced SkullSatamon right through his chest. The Dark Digimon was destroyed into bits of data.

"Myotismon will win!" shouted SkullSatamon, using his last bit of energy.

Winona and Taomon watched the data fly away. Taomon reverted back to Renamon as the others began to approach them.

"Good work," said Albert.

"It was nothing. He had it coming," Renamon replied.

"I see you made it in time," Winona added.

"Yeah, we did" smiled Michelle. The team headed back to the real world after a long day.

"_Those blasted Digidestined. I think I will have to take special measures with them," laughed Myotismon._

"_Allow me master," said an ominous voice._

"_You will not have all the fun. I'm going to go too," said Myotismon._


	43. Ch 43 Living Nightmare

_**CH. 43 Living Nightmare**_

The group met at the lake the next day to plan their next trip into the Digital World. The winter winds had begun to freeze the surrounding areas. They stood in a big circle with their partners by their sides, talking and trying to avoid being cold.

"So how should we do this today guys?" asked Cody.

"Let's all go this time. Anything is better than freezing here," said Ann, shivering.

"It has been awhile since we all went together to the Digital World," Brandi added.

"Where are we going to leave the laptop then? Somebody has to watch it. What if it snows or the battery dies?" Winona asked.

"I think I have a tent we can put it in plus a generator to give it another power supply. Thing is, I have them at home," Cody put in.

"Why don't you go get it while we go?" suggested Javi.

"I'll stay here and watch things till you get back," volunteered Albert. The group nodded at the idea while Winona set up her laptop to another location in the Digital World.

"Later guys, Digiport Open!" said TJ, holding up his Digivice to the screen. The group was sent through the screen and placed in the Digital World. They landed in a forested area, but the trees were dead if not already dying. The sky was a pale grey. There was an eerie feeling from this place.

"All in favor of never letting Winona pick where we go say I," said Javi.

"I!" said the group altogether.

"What part of 'I pick the locations at random' do you guys not understand.?" groaned Winona. The group just laughed and began to explore the surrounding area. Everything was skeletal-looking, the trees white and bare, with no animals to be seen or heard. Yet, the group found a massive church deep inside the forest. The gothic style to the building made the church look all the creepier.

"Why does this look familiar?" Salamon asked.

"Cause we've been to a church here before in the Digital World. Just the other one was falling apart. This one seems to still be intact," Brandi told her.

"Let's explore the inside then," said Veemon, heading for the door.

"I think we shouldn't," said Andrew.

"Aww… where is your sense of…" started TJ.

"Adventure, we know" sighed Hawkmon and Ann. The group reluctantly followed TJ into the interior of the building. The church looked rather dreary on the inside. Candles illuminated most of the place. The light from the outside only made the windows glow in a dim light. There was an altar at one end of the room. The doors behind them slammed shut. A cold chill went down their spines as a large Digimon appeared from behind the altar. The Digimon wore a black cloak. It only had an upper body made out of silver bones floating on a glowing pink orb while another pink energy stream held his hands in place. The creature held a scythe in its hands.

"MetalPhantomon, a cyborg type Digimon. The D-Dex only says the names of his attacks and nothing else; Grave Scream and Soul Predator," read Michelle from her D-Dex.

"Goodnight children," said the Digimon.

"It's not night time," said Guilmon, confused.

"For you pests it is, Grave Scream!" yelled MetalPhantomon. A loud screaming noise emitted from his mouth. The Digidestined all collapsed to the ground while their partners looked over them.

"What did you do to them?!" yelled Veemon.

"Oh nothing… Just sent them to relive their worst nightmares… With them gone, you'll be that much easier to deal with," said MetalPhantomon. The teams Digimon got ready to attack and protect their fallen partners.

Cody and Albert had just finished pitching the tent and setting up the laptop to the generator. They placed the laptop inside the tent to protect it from the elements. Albert and Cody pulled out their Digivices and held it to the screen. "Digiport open!" said Albert. The two of them with their partners were placed in the same, desolate forest area as the others.

"Winona should never pick where we go," sighed Albert.

"I'm with you on that," said Cody.

"Where do you think the others are?" asked Agumon.

"They can't be far too far. They only got here an hour ago," Gaomon thought out loud. The group began to explore this new area. Cody, Albert, Agumon, and Gaomon found the giant church within the forest. Cody was almost too eager to open the door.

"Think they're in there?" asked Albert.

"Maybe, if not we can explore the inside. Besides where's you sense of…" began Cody.

"Adventure, yeah we know," sighed Albert and Gaomon. Cody opened the great doors into the building. The light from the outside revealed the fallen Digidestined on the floor along with their partners. The two of them ran to their friends' aid.

"What happened? Guys wake up!" said Albert. The doors slammed shut to the building.

"Grave Scream!" yelled a voice. Gaomon quickly placed his gloved hands onto Albert's ears. Cody heard the attack then collapsed to the ground. Agumon shook his partner, trying to wake him up.

"That's eight down. One to go," said a voice. Albert and Gaomon saw a Digimon appear from behind the altar on the other side of the room.

Gaomon growled once he saw this Digimon "MetalPhantomon, you're the one who did this…."

"What did he do?" asked Albert in confusion.

"I have the power to send people to relive their nightmares over and over again. You're friends' agony and pain is what gives me strength. Just listening to their screams to find a way out is delicious," laughed MetalPhantomon. "I think I'll get rid of you two the old fashioned way."

"Not if we have anything to say about it. Gaomon, take out this clown."

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

"Spiral Blow!" cried Gaogamon, sending his attack toward MetalPhantomon. The attack did not even scratch the evil Digimon.

"Soul Predator!" MetalPhantomon countered with, swinging his scythe. A series of pink energy waves knocked Gaogamon onto the ground. Albert ran to his partner's aid then faced MetalPhantomon.

"You're friend's sorrows and fears are giving me power. Listening to Ann scream from being surrounded by bugs is great. Brandi being booed off the stage, Javi forgetting all his music in the middle of a performance, Winona running from clowns, Andrew being buried alive, Michelle losing a patient, TJ riding that bull, oh and let's not forget Cody. His fear is most satisfying. So sad, he's chained to a post while his poor little sister is being carried away. Most delicious but I know what scares you. I don't need to send you to your nightmare because you're living it right here, right now," laughed the evil Digimon.

"Shut up!" yelled Albert. He got up off the ground and looked up at MetalPhantomon. "You… how could you torment people like that? Making them relive their worst fears. I'll be the one who has the pleasure of sending you away," Albert's crest began to glow white.

"I can feel your light," said Gaogamon.

"My light will be the one to guide them back from darkness and send you away," said Albert.

_Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

MachGaogamon's size rivaled that of MetalPhantomon. He had the same color and style fur but now had cybernetic limbs with new clothes on his body along with a set of jets on his back. A red sash with silver markings was strapped around his chest and he had a pair of black visors. MachGaogamon let out a howl, causing MetalPhantomon to fall back.

"But how…" started MetalPhantomon.

"My purity shows me the light. As long as I can see it, I'm not afraid of the dark. MachGaogamon, get rid of this guy," said Albert, his crest still glowing. The other Digidestined began to stir from their slumber. They could see the light from Albert's crest and see MachGaogamon towering overhead.

"Right Albert, Winning Knuckle!" said Gaogamon, striking MetalPhantomon straight in his chest. MetalPhantomon was knocked onto the back wall of the church. "Now to end this. Howling Cannon!" A series of blue rings shot forth from MachGaogamon's mouth, completely destroying MetalPhantomon.

"That does it," said Albert. MachGaogamon returned to his Wanyamon form and landed in Albert's open arms.

"You're purity helped me Digivolve," said Wanyamon.

"The crest of purity shows me the light. Guess I just had to show that light to everybody," he smiled to the little Digimon. The group rose up off the ground and congratulated Albert on his victory.

"That was amazing Albert," said Michelle.

"It was thanks to your light that we were saved," put in Gabumon. Albert blushed a bit. The group was startled when the church began to shake. The group quickly evacuated the building just in time to see it crumble to the ground. Myotismon flew overhead, watching the Digidestined escape then face him. Wanyamon let out a growl then changed back to his Gaomon form.

"I send one of my most powerful followers after you and yet he can't destroy you brats. I will do this myself. I will be the one to crush you all." said Myotismon, landing onto the ground.

"Let's see you try," laughed Cody. The two sides were ready for a battle.


	44. Ch 44 Lights In The Darkness

_**CH. 44 Lights In The Darkness**_

Myotismon laughed at the Digidestined "Ha, you brats have been thorns in my side for the longest of time. I'll get rid of you all. Then I can rule the Digital World."

"You won't get the chance," mocked Cody. The team's Digivices and crests began to glow in their respective colors.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

Myotismon was completely surrounded by the team's ultimate forms. Myotismon still seemed unfazed by these transformations. "So you kids learned to harness the power of your tags and crests, interesting… still you're no match for me. Crimson Lightning!" The stream of red energy swept the Digimon off their feet and to the ground.

"Ha, too easy. Let's try this one, Grisly Wing!" said Myotismon, expanding his cape. A swarm of bats circled his body then attacked the Digimon still on the ground. The team was still unmatched for this evil Digimon.

"I don't get it. We got our crests to glow, why isn't Myotismon going down?" TJ asked.

"Maybe there is more to getting the crests to glow," suggested Winona.

"This is too much fun. Let's get you kids involved in this," laughed Myotismon, facing the Digidestined now. Their partners tried charging toward Myotismon but another Crimson Lightning attack knocked them all back.

"This attack should be fun. Nightmare Claw!" said Myotismon, extending his palm. A black aura surrounded his hand then shot off toward the group. The aura took the form of a black claw. The group ducked and dodged the attack.

"That was close," said Andrew.

"Too close," put in Javi.

"You don't scare me, try it again," barked Cody.

"Cody… Don't!" yelled Michelle. Myotismon pulled his hand back then launched it forward again. Cody stood firm. He felt something tackle him, knocking him to the ground. Cody looked to see that Albert had pushed him to the ground. Albert fell down, looking rather pale and was shaking.

"That's one down, and the one who would have caused me the most trouble."

"Albert… Come on man wake up," said Cody, shaking Albert's body.

"I think he'll find this nightmare a lot more fun," laughed Myotismon.

"You…" started MachGaogamon, attacking Myotismon but was knocked away with a simple wave of his hand.

"What did you do Cody?" yelled Brandi.

"If you didn't provoke Myotismon, Albert would be fine," growled TJ. Cody was speechless; this was all really his fault.

"Oh this is great. Let me tell you what Albert is seeing. He's being left all alone in the dark. Nobody is coming to his aid no matter how much he yells or calls out. And where are all of you during this may you ask? You're the ones leaving him. Oh this is great; the light from his friends is fading away. How about you all join him? Nightmare Wing!" said Myotismon as he extended his cape. A large black shadow engulfed the team, surrounding them in darkness. The area around them was completely black.

"Where are we?" said Ann.

"Don't know," Andrew replied.

"Heeheehee you're all alone, you're all alone," said a voice.

"What was that?" asked Brandi.

"Who knows. It could be coming from anywhere," said Javi.

"Somebody, anybody, help!" yelled another voice.

"That was Albert," said Cody dashing off into the darkness. The team just followed. It didn't matter how much they ran, the area didn't seem to change. It was just dark, very dark. The team stopped to catch their breath; they could still hear voices all around them.

"We're getting nowhere here," gasped TJ.

"We're just running in circles. If only we could get some light to see around…." said Michelle, gasping for air.

Cody pulled off his tag and crest then placed them into his palms as if he was praying. His crest began to give off a faint red glow. The team saw this and gave a puzzled expression.

"What are you doing?" asked Winona.

"It's light but we still can't see anything," put in Ann.

"If Albert's crest can guide us with its light then our crests can guide us to him," Cody stated. The team nodded and stood in a circle, taking the same position as Cody. Their crests were glowing in their colors. The ring of light began to pierce through the darkness. A white light could be seen in the distance, fading in and out. The team dashed toward it with their crests still glowing. The white light was getting brighter and brighter as they approached. The team found Albert running toward them and stopped.

"You're just going to leave me again aren't you?" said Albert, backing away from them.

"Why would we leave you all alone here?" questioned Brandi.

"Cause you guys always do here. Your lights come then leave me all alone by myself."

"We could never leave you here. You're our friend," put in Michelle.

"Yeah right, you've played that trick on me already. I can't believe you. This is all just a lie."

"What's wrong with you? You're never this much of a downer," said Andrew.

"Yeah, that's usually Winona with the locations she picks," said Javi with a laugh.

"It's his dream world. He thinks we're part of his dream. And I am not," growled Winona.

"They're lying, they're all lying." said a voice. Albert began to back away from the group even more. The darkness started to dim the light from his crest.

"I had hoped that you all were really my friends. Then you left me again and again."

"That's right, they aren't you're friends. Come to the darkness," said a voice. Myotismon appeared behind him, placing his hand on Albert's shoulder.

"It's you," growled TJ.

"They don't want you but I want you as my friend," laughed Myotismon. "Just give me your tag and crest."

"Don't do it!" said Cody.

"Don't listen to him. He let you get hurt after he promised to protect you. Some friend he is," said Myotismon, extending his hand. Cody clenched his fist then rushed toward Myotismon, who grabbed his neck and held him in the aloft. Cody struggled for air.

"I think I'll just get rid of you here and now," said Myotismon. Cody tried to gasp for air but he couldn't breathe. The team couldn't move for fear of making Myotismon do something else more drastic.

"Hope you liked being leader cause you won't ever be one again," said Myotismon, tightening his grip.


	45. Ch 45 Light and Dark

_**CH. 45 Light and Dark**_

Cody still struggled for air. The team was defenseless in the dark without their partners. Their crests were now glowing in a dimmer light.

"Any last words before I crush you?" laughed Myotismon.

"Put him down!" yelled Brandi.

"And why would I do that my dear?"

"Because you're just a monster. You've been the one haunting Albert's dreams, you've been the one destroying the Digital World, you've been the one tearing this place apart," said Michelle.

"True but why should I put this one down, did one of you want to be first to go? You all have the same fate. Except for you my dear Albert, how alone you have felt, so many people leaving you all your life. You can stay and help me. We'll rule the Digital world, I'll be you're new partner," said Myotismon. Albert just stood there frozen in a daze, the light from his crest almost completely out.

"Leave him alone, he has us now!" yelled TJ.

"He has us for friends and we would never abandon him!" yelled Javi.

"Time and time again they have left you here. This dream is the future. If you go with them they will eventually leave you by yourself," said Myotismon.

"This is a dream, none of this is real," put in Winona.

"Oh but to Albert it is. Some many people have left you all alone. Who's to say they won't do the same in the real world?" retorted Myotismon.

"Cause we're his friends," said Ann.

"Who needs friends when you have power? All this I can give to you my dear child. Just give the word and I'll crush this one right here, right now."

"Don't listen to him Albert, we've never left you. Gaomon has always been by your side along with us," said TJ.

"Gaomon…" started Albert.

"They're lying. They're all lying," Myotismon continued to say.

"Remember how much fun we've had since we first began, it has always been all nine of us together," said Brandi.

"We've never let down each other," said Andrew.

"And we won't ever," put in Javi.

"Don't give into the darkness, you're the one who can see through the darkness and into the light," said Brandi.

"You're the one who brought us back from our nightmares, we're here to do the same," added Michelle.

"Listen to them… please Albert… listen to them," gasped Cody.

"Shut up. Time for you to take a long nap." Myotismon began to crush Cody's neck but stopped when a bright light flashed into his eyes.

"Let him go," said Albert, his crest glowing. "You've been telling me lies every time I dream. I've had it with you. Why don't you just go into some dark hole and never come back out?"

"So you dare stand up to me?" barked Myotismon. He let out a cry of agony when Cody's crest began to glow bright red. The lights from all the team's now-glowing crests blinded Myotismon. The darkness began to fade away. The team saw that they were back in the forest as if they had never left, their crests still glowing. Albert began to stir from his sleep.

"What happened?" asked Albert, getting up off the ground.

"You fell asleep mid battle again," smiled Javi.

"You ok?" asked Brandi.

"Yeah… Cody are you alright…" started Albert.

"Yeah I'm fine. Leave the heroic stunts to me alright," laughed Cody. Albert just laughed a bit.

"You brats, how did you break my spell? How did you save the purity brat from my nightmare?" said Myotismon.

"His light guided us and our light guided him," shrugged Andrew.

"I think that your time here causing trouble is over. Guys, take him out," said Cody. All the team's Digimon rose up off the ground as their partners' crests glowed even brighter. Myotismon could not stand the brightness of the light and he began to step back, away from the light.

"Vampires are afraid of the light, you were right Javi," said Andrew.

"No, I won't be defeated by you kids!" yelled Myotismon.

"Giga Blaster!" said MetalGreymon, launching two missiles from his chest.

"Wolf Claw!" cried WereGarurumon, taking a swipe with his glowing claw.

"Wing Blade!" Garudamon yelled, sending a stream of red energy toward Myotismon in the form of a bird.

"Desolation Claw!" Cyberdramon crossed his arms send a series of white blades toward Myotismon.

"Celestial Arrow!" said Angewomon, taking aim with her hand and shooting off a glowing white arrow.

"Talisman of Light!" Taomon called out, drawing symbols in the air then creating a beam of white light to send toward Myotismon.

"Atomic Blaster!" WarGrowlmon roared, sending off a barrage of beams from the armor on his chest.

"V-Wing Blade!" AeroVeedramon yelled as he flapped his wings rapidly and sent a barrage of orange waves onto Myotismon.

"Howling Cannon!" MachGaogamon added to the chorus, sending off a wave of blue rings from his mouth.

All the attacks struck Myotismon, destroying him completely. The data flew up into the air as Myotismon's mask fell to the ground. The group let out a cheer in their victory. Their partners returned to their rookie forms.

"Where did you guys go?" asked Veemon.

"You were all there in a group then you all disappeared into a black blob," said Guilmon.

"We had to stop Myotismon elsewhere," TJ told them.

"You alright Albert?" asked Gaomon, looking worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I don't think I'm going to have nightmares anymore," said Albert with a smile. Gaomon returned the gesture.

"So how did you snap out of the whole thing Albert?" asked Brandi.

"I don't know, I saw nine lights in front of me and came to when I heard Cody gasp for air. The nine colors plus my light made it easy to see through Myotismon's darkness."

"That's good… wait a minute, how could you see nine lights? You had one of them which makes the total number of lights you should have seen eight," said Winona, analyzing what Albert said.

"I saw nine lights in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, grey, teal, and another one in pink I think."

"Pink?" questioned Hawkmon.

"I don't think any of your crests are in pink," said Agumon.

"You sure it wasn't you're crest's light fooling you?" asked Gabumon.

"Maybe your light and Cody's light mixed together making pink," suggested Salamon.

"There are only nine Digidestined… right?" said Monodramon.

"As far as we know of," put in Renamon.

"It was dark, it was probably just a trick from the light," shrugged Ann.

"Children!" yelled a voice in the distance. The group turned to see Leomon and Wizardmon running toward them.

"Leomon," smiled Michelle.

"We got rid of Myotismon," said Andrew.

"We know," said Leomon.

"Which means that it has begun," Wizardmon added.


	46. Ch 46 Prophecy

_**CH. 46 Prophecy**_

"What has begun?" asked Cody.

"I think we must show you. Magical Game," said Wizardmon, lifting his staff into the air. The group was transported back to the Palace of the Ancients. They were back in the room where Albert got his crest. All the crest symbols on the wall were glowing. Albert's crest symbol appeared in the circle with the other eight symbols. A series of writing was inscribed onto the wall in the center of the rings of crests.

"Ok… What does that say?" asked Veemon.

"It is a prophecy written in mostly ancient text. I'll read it to you." Wizardmon read the text upon the wall out loud. "'When he who rules darkness falls, the clock will count down. Upon the hour of the beast will call forth his one true form. Should the nine heroes try to take on such this evil, they will fail to defeat the King of Darkness. A tenth child will be called upon to aid the Digidestined. A power born of courage and light, will reveal another light in the darkness. Into these destined hands will the light of virtue glow. Only by this child's light will a miracle happen' That's about the idea of the writing."

"So there is another Digidestined?" said Winona, confused.

"Apparently," Renamon replied.

"Ok so we started the first part of the prophecy. When does the next part of the prophecy occur?" asked Javi.

"Six day, six hours, and six minutes from when we defeated Myotismon," said Andrew.

"Which means that he will be back umm… wait… I got this… at about… umm…" thought Guilmon.

"Well if their talking about when we killed him today we have until Saturday at six o'clock in the evening with six minutes past. That about the rough estimate from when we just killed Myotismon from a little while ago," calculated Javi.

"So that leave us about a little less than week to find the tenth Digidestined," thought Monodramon.

"So you children understand the urgency of this matter?" said Leomon.

"Yeah we do, any ideas how to find the child though?" asked Brandi.

"Born through courage and light… wonder what that means?" said Salamon.

"If you think about it, courage is valor and light is purity which relate to Albert and Cody's crest and Digivice colors," said Michelle.

"Isn't red plus white equal to pink?" asked Gabumon

"That might be the light you saw in your dream," thought Ann.

"Everything is fitting together now," Hawkmon mused.

"Ok then so how does that help in finding the tenth kid then?" Cody asked.

"Maybe there is a way to combine both of your crests," Agumon suggested.

"It might be worth a try," said Gaomon.

"I'll try it if you are willing to Cody. Let's see if our crests react to each other when we use our Digivices on them," suggested Albert. Cody just shrugged, thinking it might work. Wizardmon guided them to a pedestal in the center of the room. The group circled around the pedestal.

Albert and Cody took off their tags and crests then placed them next to each other on the pedestal in the middle of the circle, the two of them facing each other across it. Albert and Cody stepped away from the tags and then aimed their Digivices toward the two items on the floor. A bright beam of light shot off from both their Digivices and struck the tags and crests. All the other tags and crests began to glow. The lights all met in the center of the room, creating a bright orb. The light grew so much that the team shielded their eyes from the sight. The light began to subside, revealing a Digi-Egg in a pink color. Alongside the egg was a Digivice pink in color and a new tag and crest. The crest was pink with a pink gem embedded on the tag. The symbol was a circle with a crescent design on one side and a triangle on the other connecting the ends of the crescent design.

"The Crest of Virtue, the powers of Valor and Purity, along with all the other crests, created this new tag and crest. A Digivice must have been created for when the tenth child is united with their partner," examined Wizardmon. Albert and Cody picked up their tags and crests then placed them back around their necks.

"So we have the new kids Digivice and crest, that must be their partners Digi-Egg, what now?" asked Cody.

"You kids must find the tenth Digidestined child in the real world," said Leomon.

"How do we know they are in the real world? They might be here in the Digital World," put in Ann.

"Nobody can enter here without a Digivice to open the Digiport remember?" said Javi, wiggling his Digivice in front of Ann. Ann let out a small sigh.

"This might be hard, we can't just go around asking a bunch of strangers if they would like to be a Digidestined," said Michelle.

"The prophecy says that only in the hands of the chosen child, the crest and Digivice will react," Wizardmon reminded them.

"You know, if the kid got their partner like how we got ours, this would be so much easier. We could have just used the Digital World map to find them," though Brandi.

"Maybe we can sniff them out. You all have interesting scents," smiled Guilmon.

"I don't think that will work buddy," sighed Andrew.

"We could just go around and ask people to hold the two objects and hope that they glow when they touch them," suggested Ann.

"With as many human children in your world, that may take years," said Hawkmon.

"Any other suggestions?" said Cody.

"There must be an easier way to do this," said Agumon.

"Nobody said that this would be easy," put in Gaomon.

"Well… we know that our crests match our strongest traits. Maybe the child is the most virtuous person but that is still not enough to pin point a person," said Albert.

"Hmm… at least it is something to work with," said Winona.

"Better than nothing," Renamon thought.

"Hey Albert, if you could sense darkness, could you sense light?" asked TJ.

"Maybe but I've never tried doing it before."

"Try it Albert, your crest might let you see both the light and dark in other's hearts," said Leomon.

"I'll give it a try then." Albert closed his eyes and focused on his light. His eyes were closed but he could feel the warmth of his light deep inside of him. He started to feel the warmth from all around him, seeing the light in the other's hearts as well. "I can feel it, the warmth from the light is soothing."

"Now we're getting somewhere," smiled TJ.

"Ok then guys, tomorrow after school we'll split up and search the city. One group will take the Digivice, one group will take the Tag and Crest, and the final group will take Albert along. One of the teams is bound to find the tenth child," said Cody, taking charge. The team smiled at this idea and began to formulate a plan.

"Let me, Michelle, and Winona form one group, us girls can get into places you guys can't," said Brandi.

"Oh, I want to go with Javi, Andrew, and Albert. Us band people don't hang out to much anymore!" yelled Ann.

"That just leaves us two then," said Cody. The group agreed with the split up decision. Brandi placed the tag and crest in her pocket, with Albert on Ann's team there was no need for an object, and Cody placed the Digivice in his pocket. The team left the ruins and continued formulating their plan.


	47. Ch 47 Searching

_**CH. 47 Searching**_

After school the next day the teams split up to search the city for any reactions to the location of the tenth child. Each team was bundled up to combat the cold temperatures. The bitter cold conditions had the group searching in mostly indoor areas. All the Digimon partners hid in the teens' backpacks and as an added plus, it kept them warm..

Brandi and her team searched the theater in hopes of finding the child. They stood in the main lobby, surrounded by movie posters and show times displayed on screens around the room. People walked back and forth, buying tickets and food or just heading into the viewing rooms. Brandi held the tag and crest in her palm, hoping to see it glow when somebody walked by.

"Anything yet?" asked Michelle.

"Nope, nothing," frowned Brandi.

"It is still early, maybe we'll have better luck another day," Winona suggested.

"This could take time to do," added Viximon.

"I was hoping for something to happen with the crest though," said Brandi, pocketing the tag and crest.

"Maybe tomorrow we'll have better luck," suggested Tsunomon to them.

"Maybe…" Michelle mused, looking around still.

"I wonder who it could be…" Salamon followed up with her thoughts.

"I'm hoping for a girl. There are too many guys on the team," laughed Michelle in reply to Salamon.

"It would probably be safe to say that the child is a girl. The color kinda gives it away," Winona pointed out as they walked out of the theater lobby and into one of the screen rooms.

"That is a good guess," Brandi agreed.

"Let's keep on looking guys. Most people our age hang out here so there may still be a chance that they are here," said Brandi. The group nodded and continued to investigate the theater.

--

Ann and her team were walking around the school hoping that Albert could feel the warmth of the tenth child's light. They walked up and down the halls, surrounded by various posters supporting the school's teams and events. They stopped in the courtyard to rest for a bit.

"You still haven't sensed anything yet Albert?" Ann asked him.

"We've been everywhere here. You had to have felt something," put in Javi.

"The band hall, the football field, the gym, the buildings, you had to have felt something," said Hopmon.

"Nope, I can't sense any light here. Maybe the tenth child isn't our age," Albert suggested, looking tired.

"Well if everybody here is the same age as you guys then that might be a logical guess," said Wanyamon, poking out from Albert's backpack.

"So the tenth Digidestined might be a young kid then?" said Poromon.

"Looks like it," said Andrew.

"Cool, they're just a young kid then," smiled Gigimon.

"It is a logical guess but we won't know till we actually find the tenth kid," Javi added, being realistic.

"Well we better head to the mall and help TJ and Cody search that place. It is way too big for just two people to look around all by themselves," Ann suggested to them. The group just nodded and headed for the mall to continue their search.

--

Cody grunted a little as he headed for the mall. A young girl followed him to the mall, skipping along side of him. She was bundled up in a thick pink jacket and wore a pair of blue jeans. A white shirt was showing under her jacket. Despite the cold air she still wore a warm smile.

"Can't believe mom made me babysit you today," growled Cody.

"She couldn't watch me today. You don't want your little sister home all alone do you?" said the girl.

"I stayed home alone all the time when I was little."

"Well you're different because you're a boy" smiled the girl. Cody just sighed and continued toward the mall. The two of them reached the building and entered, finding it nicely warm inside. The mall was filled with Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling, which gave a holiday-ishly festive theme to the place. People hurried to and fro, exiting and entering the various stores.

"Hey Cody!" yelled TJ, approaching the two from behind. Cody turned and greeted TJ. The young girl just hid behind Cody.

"Hi Kayla," smiled TJ.

"Hi TJ," said Kayla, stepping out from behind Cody.

"Let me guess, you're babysitting?" asked TJ.

"Unfortunately," groaned Cody.

"Hey guys!" yelled Ann as she and her group approached them. The guys greeted them as Kayla returned to hide behind Cody.

"And who is this cute little girl?" asked Ann with a smile.

"Oh, this is my little sister Kayla," said Cody. "Stuck babysitting today."

"Aww… how cute." said Ann. "Are you shy Kayla?"

Kayla stepped out from behind Cody and smiled a little. She then gave a quick nod and returned to hide behind Cody.

"Come on out Kayla, these guys are my friends" said Cody. She returned to Cody's side and smiled.

"Nice to meet all of you," said Kayla.

"She's so sweet, you sure you're related to Cody?" laughed Javi.

"That's what I ask him everyday," said Koromon from inside Cody's backpack.

"Where did that come from?" asked Kayla, looking around.

"Nowhere, that was probably the announcer on the intercom announcing some sale," said TJ nervously.

"But I'm sure I heard something from Cody's backpack," protested Kayla.

"It was nothing I'm sure," said Andrew. Kayla just shrugged. The group began to search the mall, Cody quickly looking at the Digivice in his pocket to see if there was any reaction. TJ would glance over to Albert, who would frown back, showing that he had not sensed anything. Kayla seemed to enjoy the mall more than the group. The colors and music kept her happy. The team decided to call it a day and stepped outside of the mall and stood by several benches. Kayla sat on one of the benches and sighed.

"Hey guys, how was the mall?" asked Brandi as her group found the others and joined them. They smiled when they saw Kayla sitting on the bench playing with her jacket.

"Pretty uneventful," said Andrew.

"I'm tired, can we go home?" Kayla asked her brother.

"I guess so. Not much left to do here," said Cody. The team nodded at this idea. They were all tired from the full day of searching. The group walked together for a bit away from the mall. Kayla kept dragging behind them. Cody stopped and knelt down beside his sister.

"Come on, I'll carry you home." Kayla smiled up at him, and then climbed onto his back. Cody walked right past Albert with Kayla on his back. Albert felt something quick flow straight through his body. Cody took the lead again with Kayla falling asleep on his back.

"She is so cute. Funny that you both are brother and sister yet share no similar characteristics," laughed Ann.

"Oh shut up," laughed Cody.


	48. Ch 48 The Team Complete

_**CH. 48 The Team Complete**_

The next day the team explored more hangouts in hope of finding the tenth child but still had no luck in finding their identity. They met the following day at the lake to create a new game plan to find the tenth Digidestined child.

"Ok so we have only three more days to find the tenth Digidestined after today. Any new plans?" asked Winona.

"Nope, everything we have tried has pretty much failed," frowned Ann.

"At least you're trying," smiled Poromon.

"Don't give up hope, there is still time to find the tenth child," added DemiVeemon.

"Any more ideas anyone?" Brandi asked the group.

"Not unless we can pull a miracle and find the tenth child," Andrew replied, frowning.

Cody looked over to Albert, who looked to be in deep thought. "Got something Albert?"

"Actually yeah…"

"What?" said the group in unison.

"Umm… I think I know who the tenth child is… Cody… how would you describe your sister? Like in one word…."

"Kayla… huh that is a good question… probably innocent but really shy. She can be courageous and she always knows the difference between right and wrong. I guess virtuous would be the word… oh no, she can't…"

"When you two walked passed me back at the mall, I felt that warmth I usually feel from all of you guys' lights. I think the she might be the tenth child," concluded Albert.

"My sister can't be the tenth child. Even if she was, I wouldn't let her go the Digital World. It is way too dangerous there." said Cody.

"If she is the tenth child then she must be united with her partner. It's her destiny Cody," said Brandi, pulling out the tag and crest from her pocket. She handed it to Cody, who gripped the item in his palm.

"Look, the prophecy said that in their hands the light glows. Give Kayla the crest and her Digivice and if they glow then she is the one," said Andrew bluntly.

"I guess it is worth a try. What if they do glow?" asked Cody.

"Bring her here tomorrow after school and we can take it from there. Hopefully we can take her to the Digital World so she can get a feel for what it is like. We don't want to expose her to too much right away," said Javi. Cody nodded in assent and the group split up to go home.

Cody returned home to find that home his parents were leaving, which gave him time to talk to his sister alone. Cody thought about how he should talk to her about this. Koromon leapt into his hands from the backpack.

"So how are you going to do this?"

"I don't know. I don't even want her going to the Digital World. The place is way too dangerous for her."

"It is not like she is going alone. She'll always have you around to protect her." Cody just smiled as Koromon hopped alongside him on the floor. It was true; he would have to protect her like he always does. Cody found his sister in her room playing with one of her dolls. She turned and smiled when she saw Cody.

"Hey Cody. Mom and Dad gone?"

"Yeah, um… Kayla can you put this on and hold this?"Cody handed Kayla the tag and crest from his pocket and then the pink-colored Digivice. Kayla took the two items in her hand. She placed the tag and crest around her neck and held the Digivice. She admired the crest and Digivice.

"The necklace is pretty and I like this thing." She smile. Cody felt relieved to see that the crest did not glow. Before he could say anything else, though, the crest began to glow bright pink. Thought too soon…. Kayla looked into the light in admiration.

"The light is so pretty." The crest let out one last flash in pink light as the Digivice began to glow then subside.

Cody sighed "Ok Koromon, come on in."

Koromon entered the room, hopped in front of Kayla, and smiled "Hi. I'm Koromon."

Cody expected Kayla to scream but she picked up Koromon and hugged the creature "You are so cute! I'm Kayla, nice to meet you. Is he yours Cody?"

"Yeah he is, Kayla, we need to talk." Cody sat with Kayla on her bed and told her everything about being a Digidestined. He told her of all the group's adventures and how this had to be kept a secret. Cody finished by telling her that she too had a partner back in the Digital World waiting for her.

"I want to meet my partner now."

"Tomorrow for sure, ok?"

"Ok…" Kayla still held Koromon in her arms, not wanting to let go.

--

The group met at the lake the next day. The weather remained clear but still cold. Winona set up her computer as the group assembled. Cody soon arrived with Kayla by his side. All the team's Digimon appeared and hopped around Kayla. Kayla did not at all seem frightened by the creatures.

"So guys, meet the tenth Digidestined Child, Kayla, my little sister."

"Hello everybody," said Kayla nervously.

"Welcome to the team Kayla, I'm Brandi and this is Ann, Javi, Andrew, Winona, Albert, Michelle, and TJ who you know already," spoke Brandi, pointing everyone out in turn.

"When can I meet my partner?" Kayla asked in an excited tone.

"Soon. Your Digi-Egg is in the Village of Beginnings being cared for by our friend Wizardmon," said Winona.

"How do we get there?"

"It's easy. Just hold up your Digivice to the computer screen and say 'Digiport open,'" Michelle explained to her.

"I think Kayla should do the honors since it is her first time going to the Digital World," suggested Javi. The team nodded as Kayla approached the computer screen nervously. She held out her Digivice as her arm began to shake.

"Don't be scared, just say Digiport open," encouraged Andrew.

"Ok… Digiport Open!" said Kayla. The screen began to glow and the whole team was sucked through the screen with their partners. They ended up in the Village of Beginnings. Cody held out his arms to catch his sister since the trip is disorienting at first. Kayla was in awe over the Village of Beginnings' appearance. Her new clothes were a pink version of that of the group, her crest symbol on the back.

"Wow you guys have talking dogs, a fox, a bird, and dinosaurs!" exclaimed Kayla.

"Did she just call us dogs?" said Gaomon

"She's young, leave her be," Renamon told him.

The team walked through the village and found Wizardmon struggling to keep the Digi-Egg from the Palace of the Ancients in his arms.

"Oh children, I'm glad you're here, the egg has been going crazy ever since yesterday night."The egg seemed to jump out of Wizardmon's hands and bounced around. The team scattered to catch it, and the egg seemed to leap right into Kayla's hands. The team gathered round as the egg began to hatch. Kayla's Digivice began to glow, revealing a white light. The creature emerging from the egg leaped to the ground as the form glowed solid white.

"Your partner is coming to life," Wizardmon explained to her as Kayla looked on.

"Wonder what it could be?" said Veemon.

"Yay, a new friend!" cheered Guilmon.

The light finally subsided as the Digimon took its new form. It looked a bit like a rabbit with long ears that flopped to the ground. It was brown in color with pink on the tips of its ears, hands, and feet. It also had three small horns on the top of its head. The Digimon stretched out its ears and smiled.

"Are you my new partner?" the Digimon asked in a light voice that sounded female.

"Yes I am. My name is Kayla."

"My name is Lopmon" said the Digimon with a smile. Kayla picked put her partner and gave her a big hug. She couldn't believe that this was all real.

"I waited and waited till the day would come for me to meet you," said Lopmon.

"I'm so glad to finally meet my partner!" exclaimed Kayla.

There was a loud roar that startled the group. Some of the members of the team laughed for a second.

"We have another friend of ours for you to meet," said TJ.


	49. Ch 49 Trouble in Toy Town

_**CH. 49 Trouble in Toy Town**_

The group headed for the edge of the village to find Leomon waiting for them. They greeted the lionish Digimon and introduced Kayla and Lopmon as the new members to the team.

"It is nice to meet the two of you. I am glad to have found you all here. There is a problem in a nearby village called Toy Town. Some of Myotismon's followers are causing havoc there. This would also give the new members of the team to learn how to Digivolve with the tag and crest," Leomon explained once they had assembled around him.

"Toy Town?" questioned Brandi.

"Yes, it is a small town close to the Village of Beginnings. Most of the rookie level Digimon who Digivolve here head to Toy Town till they feel ready to trek out into the Digital World on their own."

"Seems like a good place for Kayla to learn the ropes of being a Digidestined," said Andrew.

"Doesn't sound that Dangerous to me," Kayla said with a smile.

"We can do it," said Lopmon with pride.

"That's the spirit. You kids will find the Village not too far from here. Toy Town is under the supervision of our friend Monzaemon," said Leomon, pointing into the distance.

"Then lets head on out then," said Cody, leading the group.

The team followed Cody to the town that Leomon had pointed out in the distance. Kayla was amazed by the surrounding area. To her, this place was a dream land. She grew even more excited when the group reached the town. The ground was now paved with bright yellow bricks. All the building seemed to be made of blacks in various colors and sizes. All sorts of toys and gadgets could be seen everywhere in this cute town.

"I wonder what's wrong with this place. Everything seems nice and quiet," Javi observed as he looked around. Before the team could admire the town any more, several objects crashed into the building behind them, causing it to crumble to the ground.

"You had to say something," Monodramon groaned.

A group of small black Digimon marched toward the Digidestined. They looked to be made out of blocks themselves and mimicked Agumon in shape. The Digimon were a solid black color except for their glowing red eyes.

"ShadowToyAgumon, they're low lever virus type Digimon. They use an attack called Plastic Blaze to fight their enemies. Huh, they don't look so tough," said TJ, closing his D-Dex after scanning the incoming Digimon.

"Ok… so are these guys the problem here?" asked Michelle.

"Most likely," said Winona.

"Then let's get to work, Feather Strike!" said Hawkmon, throwing her feather at the ShadowToyAgumon. The feather collided with several of the Digimon, causing them to crumble into tiny blacks.

"Yeah, Vee-Headbutt!" Veemon called out, ramming into several other Digimon with his head. The ShadowToyAgumon crumbled into blocks.

"Watch this Kayla, Lop Twister!" said Lopmon, spinning around and around. The small cyclone formed by Lopmon crashed into several more ShadowToyAgumon, disintegrating them.

"That was cool!" exclaimed Kayla.

"This is way too easy," laughed Javi.

"Then let me have a shot at you," said a voice. The group looked behind them to see that a large Digimon had appeared behind them. The Digimon resembled a teddy bear but was anything but cute and cuddly. Its body was completely black with an orange belly and a pair of deep red eyes. A tattered orange cape flowed behind him and it had a set of claws emerging from its paws.

"WaruMonzaermon, a puppet type Digimon at the ultimate level. Careful with his Bear Claw attack or else you'll be skewered. You just had to say that this was easy didn't you Javi," sighed Albert after scanning the Digimon.

"What are you doing trespassing in my town?" asked WaruMonzaemon, glaring at the group.

"Your town? What happened to Monzaemon?" Salamon asked of the giant Digimon.

"He is off on vacation, so to speak."

"Something tells me that he didn't want to go," said Gabumon.

"You think?" said Renamon.

"Enough about him, ShadowToyAgumon, attack!" cried WaruMonzaemon. The ShadowToyAgumon all opened their mouths at the same time. A series of small, plastic flames shot out toward the group.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

The four Digimon took the full attack from the ShadowToyAgumon. They seemed unfazed by the barrage of plastic flames from the evil Digimon.

"That's it, I'm calling a full onslaught attack!" yelled WaruMonzaemon. The black Digimon jumped onto the roof of a nearby building then ran till he was out of sight. A loud alarm was sounded as more ShadowToyAgumon appeared, marching in single file lines.

"I'm going after him, you with me buddy?" said TJ, looking up at AeroVeedramon. AeroVeedramon nodded. The two of them took off running, AeroVeedramon plowing straight through the ShadowToyAgumon.

"Not without me you're not. Michelle, take care of Kayla for me till I get back!" yelled Cody, running after TJ.

"They might need backup," said Andrew following with WarGrowlmon.

"Any other plans anybody?" asked Ann.

"TJ has the right idea. If we take out the leader, we take out the army," Gaomon agreed with the rest.

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon _

The remaining Digimon attacked the incoming ShadowToyAgumon, holding them back and protecting the remaining Digidestined.

"Maybe we can find Monzaemon in the meantime," thought Albert.

"I want to go with my brother," frowned Kayla.

"It's too dangerous to go with him, you'd just get in the way," said Winona, a bit coldly.

"But… but…" started Kayla, tears running down her face.

"Oh now you've done in Winona," growled Albert.

"She's just a little girl who wants to be with her big brother," said Michelle.

Brandi knelt down beside Kayla "It's alright Kayla, Cody will be back soon but in the mean time you have to be brave, ok?"

Kayla dried her tears and let out a weak smile. Lopmon used her long ears to dry the remaining tears that ran down Kayla's face.

"I have an idea, how about a ride Kayla?" said Albert.

_Gaomon Digivolved to…Gaogamon_

"Wow," said Kayla, admiring Gaogamon. Albert lifted Kayla onto Gaogamon's back along with Lopmon.

"You can ride up there for awhile. The rest of us can fan throughout the town and try to find Monzaemon. The ShadowToyAgumon don't seem like much of a threat anyways," Albert suggested.

The remaining Digidestined split off into groups and fanned out through the town in search of Monzaemon. Albert, Kayla, and Michelle split off into one group, Ann and Javi into another, and Brandi and Winona took off together as well.


	50. Ch 50 The Toy Army

_**Ch. 50 The Toy Army**_

Brandi and Winona, along with their partners, explored more of Toy Town. The ShadowToyAgumon stood no chance against any attacks from Taomon and Angewomon.

"Why did the tenth child have to be a little girl? Now she'll be whining all the time and wanting to always be with Cody," sighed Winona.

"Are you still on that? Get over it already. Kayla is going to be a great addition to the team. She just needs to be brave like her older brother," said Brandi.

"And what is she going to do when we can't be there to protect her?"

"She'll learn to help her partner Digivolve just like how we all did. Give her a chance will you. If memory serves right, you have pulled a few dumb moves before."

"Brandi is right, though very young, Kayla may have more power deep within her that we may not see right away," said Taomon, over hearing Brandi's and Winona's conversation.

"We've all had our share of ups and downs. Kayla will learn day by day and soon she'll be just as strong as any member of the team," said Angewomon, taking out a few ShadowToyAgumon with her celestial arrow attack.

"I guess we'll have to see then," shrugged Winona.

--

"Spiral Blow!" cried Gaogamon, sending another hoard of ShadowToyAgumon flying into a building.

"Wow, that was so cool," said Kayla from atop Gaogamon's back.

"You think that was cool, watch this. WereGarurumon, show them what you got," said Michelle.

"Right, Wolf Claw!" said WereGarurumon, taking out several ShadowToyAgumon with a single swipe of his claw.

"Hey Albert, how do Digimon Digivolve?" asked Kayla.

"Well, a Digimon Digivolves when they feel the need to protect their partner. Your friendship with them gives them the strength to Digivolve to the champion level."

"And when you believe in the power of your crest and feel its power flow through you, your partner will move on to the ultimate level," added Michelle with a smile.

"If you can bond with your partner like how these guys have, Lopmon will be able to Digivolve like us in no time," said WereGarurumon, knocking back a few more ShadowToyAgumon with ease.

"You'll learn how one day," said Gaogamon.

"I think we're bonding already," said Lopmon.

"We just need to learn how to get you to Digivolve," said Kayla with excitement.

"Hey Albert!" yelled Ann in the distance. The group turned to see Ann and Javi running toward them with their partners close behind.

"Hey guys, any luck finding Monzaemon?" asked Michelle.

"Nope, nothing," answered Javi.

Before anybody could say anything, the sound of a loud explosion followed by black smoke filled the town. The sound cause Kayla to lose balance while on Gaogamon, then topple off his back. Kayla thought that she would hit the ground but was relieved to open her eyes and see that Angewomon had caught her then place her gently on her feet. Lopmon jumped down right beside Kayla.

"You guys hear that?" asked Winona, approaching the group with Brandi.

"Hear what?" asked Javi sarcastically.

"The explosion dork," sighed Winona.

"It sounded like it came from where Cody and his group headed," said Ann.

"Think my big brother is ok?" asked Kayla with a worried look on her face.

"I'm sure he's fine. Cody wasn't made our leader for nothing," assured Michelle.

"I think we may have a problem of our own to take care of," said Albert, pointing to an army of ShadowToyAgumon approaching the group.

Gaogamon looked around then saw a building off in the distance "We can hold them off there for a while, at least till their numbers diminish."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Winona.

"Me and Ann will go see how Cody and his group are doing," said Garudamon lowering her hand so that Ann could climb on.

"We'll be back," said Ann as she climbed into Garudamon's palm. It wasn't long till they were up in the air and heading toward a large smoke cloud further into the town.

_Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

"Howling Cannon!" cried MachGaogamon, sending a flurry of blue rings toward the incoming army. The ShadowToyAgumon were sent flying back but for every one that was knocked down, more quickly took its place.

"Let's get moving guys," said Javi.

The team followed and ran toward the building pointed out in the distance. They arrived to find that the building was a train station with a train currently settled in the loading platform. The station itself was designed just like the town, with brightly colored bricks making up the building. The train looked more like something that you would find in the real world and did not match the style that Toy Town presented. It had the typical engine with several cars attached.

"This might get ugly for a bit," said Cyberdramon, surveying the incoming Digimon.

"We may want to move Kayla somewhere safe for now," put in Taomon.

"I have an idea," said Michelle, jogging over to the train and opening one of the doors on the car.

"You can hide in her Kayla till we get thing settled out here."

"Ok…" said Kayla, looking nervous as she climbed into the train car.

"She should be fine in there till we level the playing field a bit," said MachGaogamon.

"Let's hope so, here they come," pointed Brandi.

--

"You annoying brats just don't get the hint do you? Bear Claw!" said WaruMonzaemon, taking a swing at AeroVeedramon.

"Get what? You took over this peaceful place just for your own selfish needs. What do we need to understand other than you have to go down," said TJ.

""I'm the King here, I'm the King!" bellowed WaruMonzaemon.

"Where have we heard that before?" smiled Cody.

"I think that we should just end this already. Giga Missile!" said MetalGreymon, launching his attack toward WaruMonzaemon. WaruMonzaemon dodged the attack as the missiles collided with a nearby building, turning it to rubble and leaving a cloud of black smoke.

"Ha, you missed," laughed WaruMonzaemon.

"Atomic Blaster!" said WarGrowlmon releasing his attack. WaruMonzaemon took the attack directly into his back and was sent flying into another building.

"V-Wing Blade!" said AeroVeedramon, flapping his mighty wings. A shower of orange energy bursts struck WaruMonzaemon.

"Now we can end this, Giga Missile!" said MetalGreymon, releasing his attack one more time. The attack struck WaruMonzaemon directly, turning him into nothing but bits of data.

"Nothing to it," said Cody.

"Look at the ShadowToyAgumon," said TJ, pointing to one of the Digimon walking nearby. The black color on the Digimon began to fade, revealing a brightly colored Digimon.

"ToyAgumon, puppet level Digimon that are kind in nature," said Andrew, reading off the information on his D-Dex.

"I wonder what turned them all evil?" questioned TJ.

"Hey guys!" yelled Ann from above with Garudamon. Garudamon landed on the ground then moved her palm to the ground and let Ann off.

"Hey Ann, where's everybody else?" asked Cody.

"An army of ShadowToyAgumon was surrounding us so the others took shelter in a building while we came to check up on you guys," smiled Ann.

"Let's go check to see if they're still ok," said Andrew. The team along with their partners headed for the building the others were hiding in. It wasn't long till Cody and his group found the train station that the others were located in. Ann was surprised to see that only Winona, Michelle, and their respective partners, now in their rookie forms, left in the train station.

"Where's everybody else?" asked TJ.

"What happened to Kayla?" put in Cody, looking rather angry.

Winona and Michelle looked at each other, and then glanced over to their partners, who just gave them a blank stare.

"Umm… Cody, don't be mad…" started Michelle.


	51. Ch 51 Run Away Train

_**Ch. 51 Run Away Train**_

"You let what happen to my little sister!" yelled Cody

"Well it all happened so fast…" started Michelle

"_Oh great, there are more of them coming," said Javi, surveying the ShadowToyAgumon as they approached. The team's Digimon were able to keep the army of Digimon back but the sheer numbers made victory look unlikely._

"_We'll just have to keep on attacking till they retreat," said Taomon, launching her attack._

"_Guys look!" Brandi pointed at the ShadowToyAgumon army; their dark color was beginning to fade away, revealing Digimon in the same shape as them but more vividly colored._

"_Those would be ToyAgumon, they're very kind Digimon. I guess that WaruMonzaemon must have corrupted their data turning them into their ShadowToyAgumon forms," thought MachGaogamon._

"_So if they're turning back, Cody and his group must have gotten rid of WaruMonzaemon," said Javi._

_The ToyAgumon seemed to talk amongst themselves and began to file back into the crumbled town before them. The Digidestined were relieved to see that everything was calming down and began to head for the loading platform._

"_Won't Kayla be happy to… uh guys… what happened to the train?" Brandi asked in a panic._

"_What do you mean,' what happened to the train?' It was right… there…" said Winona, looking to see that the track before them was empty._

"_I thought you were supposed to watch her," barked Albert as he looked over to Michelle._

"_I got so wrapped up in the battle that I never noticed that the train had left," said Michelle, with the same look of panic as Brandi._

"_Ok look, we're not going to get anywhere if we just sit here and argue with each other," put in Angewomon._

"_She's right. The train was facing one way so if we follow the tracks in that direction we should find the train. I say that me, Brandi, and Javi should go off and look since our partners can fly so we can cover more ground rather quickly," said Albert._

"_Ok and what should we do?" asked Winona._

"_Explain how this happened to Cody and hope he doesn't kill Michelle for losing his sister," laughed Javi as he climbed onto his partner's back. Brandi did the same, followed by Albert climbing into MachGaogamon's hand. The trio flew off in the same direction that the train was originally facing._

"… and that about covers it," finished Michelle as she recalled the events.

"We can get to her in no time if we hurry," said MetalGreymon. Cody wasted no time climbing onto his partner's back. MetalGreymon extended his wings and took off in flight toward the direction that Michelle had pointed out.

"Let's head out," said WarGrowlmon, Andrew riding on his back. The jets on WarGrowlmon's back made flight a breeze.

"Wait for us!" said AeroVeedramon, TJ on his back.

"What about us? Our partner's can't fly!" yelled Winona. Garudamon lowered her hand and allowed Ann, Winona, Renamon, Michelle, and Gabumon to climb on and have a place to stay so they could catch up to the others now in flight.

--

Kayla and Lopmon sat in one of the aisle seats and waited to see if the train would stop. The interior of the train car that they were currently in was elegant in style. There were several rows of seats with a red-colored rug extending from one door to the other in the car. The windows on the walls showed the outside view, which was currently moving by rather fast.

"Think that we should have gotten off when the train started moving?" asked Lopmon.

"I don't think we could have. I didn't even know the train was moving till I looked out the window. The fighting was so loud and the rumbling made the train shake a lot."

"I wonder where this train is going."

"Let's see if we can find someone and ask them," said Kayla, hopping out of her seat. Lopmon did the same and landed right next to Kayla. The two of them walked down the aisle and reached one of the doors. Kayla opened the door to find a small room that connected the two cars along with another door. They walked through the room and continued forward, finding another train car exactly like the one they were in.

"Nobody here either," sighed Lopmon.

The duo continued to move from car to car, hoping to find someone else on the moving train. After a few more moments of walking Kayla sat back down in one of the seats and frowned.

"I guess you and me are the only one's on the train right now," said Kayla with despair.

Before Lopmon could respond, one of the car doors opened. A tall lady with pale skin wearing a red dress and hat with a small spider-like charm on the front entered. The lady had long white hair and a pair of sunglasses that covered her eyes.

"Are you lost, my dear?" asked the woman in a sweet voice.

"Yes I am. I'm looking for my big brother or any one of his friends," said Kayla, relieved to see that she and Lopmon weren't alone on the train.

"Something doesn't feel right," said Lopmon.

"Well, my dear, I think I can help you," said the woman.

"Really?" said Kayla.

"Yes, just come with me and I'll take you to him. They're on the train too," smiled the mysterious woman.

"She's lying Kayla, how can they be on the train when we haven't even stopped?" Lopmon reasoned out, taking her place in front of Kayla, ready to defend her partner.

"I figured that since you were young you'd fall for my trick. Guess I'll get my dinner the hard way," laughed the woman. Her body began to morph into a newer form. The new form was a spider with the woman's body now on top. Her hair was messy with a pair of red horns growing from the sides of her head. The red and purple pattern on her hat was now covering her body.

Kayla let out a scream and ran for the door behind her only to find that it was locked. Kayla pulled out the D-Dex on her vest pocket and scanned the Digimon, though her body was shaking in fright. "Arukenimon, she's a virus type Digimon that takes on the form of a lady to draw in her victims. She can fight with her Spider Thread and Acid Mist attacks."

"Come here, my pretty," said Arukenimon.

"Don't worry Kayla, I'll protect you," said Lopmon. Kayla's Digivice began to glow with a bright white light.

_Lopmon Digivolved to…Turuiemon_

The light from Kayla's Digivice faded, revealing Lopmon's Digivolved form, Turuiemon. Turuiemon looked similar to a bunny rabbit that stood on two legs and wore a pair of yellow overalls and a blue scarf. Her fur was now a light purple color with white on the tips of her ears and now bore sharp, claw like devices on her hands.

"What's this?" said Arukenimon

"You did it Lopmon, you Digivolved!" exclaimed Kayla.

"It's Turuiemon now Kayla. Let me handle this witch," said Turuiemon, taking an attack stance. Turuiemon held out her hands revealing her silver claws.

"Gauntlet Claw!" said Turuiemon, and dashed forward toward Arukenimon and attacked relentlessly with her claws. Arukenimon tried to block the attacks but was unable to keep up with them. One last swipe with her claw sent Arukenimon flying into the wall.

"Is that all you got?" asked Arukenimon, getting up off the ground. "Try this, Spider Thread!"

A long series of webs shot out from Arukenimon's hands and toward Kayla. Turuiemon swiped at the webs, her claws cutting them apart. Arukenimon continued with the attack, which soon over powered Turuiemon.

"Run Kayla!" yelled Turuiemon.

"But…" started Kayla.

"But she has nowhere to run to," laughed Arukenimon.

Turuiemon leapt over Kayla and used her claw to break apart the previously locked door. Kayla ran through the door to find that she was now outside with only a ladder as a possible escape route. Kayla started to climb the ladder and ended up on top of the speeding train. Turuiemon soon followed close behind. The two of them made their way to the end of the car to find Arukenimon already on top of the roof with them.

"This is the end of the line for you two." Arukenimon grinned.


	52. Ch 52 The Tenth Light

_**Ch. 52 The Tenth Light**_

"Stay behind me Kayla," said Turuiemon, leaping in front of Kayla and opening her arms to protect her partner.

"So you want to fight then. Well, I do like my meat tenderized. Acid Mist!" cried Arukenimon, letting out a cloud of purple smoke from her mouth. The smoke began to dissolve the roof of the train car below. Turuiemon grabbed Kayla and hopped to the next car. Arukenimon followed in hot pursuit.

"Turuiemon, I'm scared" said Kayla in fright as she looked off the side of the train. They were now crossing over a massive canyon on a bridge that could only hold the train and its track.

"Don't worry Kayla, I got you. Be brave just like Brandi told you to be."

"But I don't know how to be brave…."

"Come here my pretties…."

"You're brother is brave right?" asked Turuiemon, increasing the pace at which she moved to escape Arukenimon.

"Yeah… he is…" started Kayla.

"Then just be like him. Oh no…" said Turuiemon, looking ahead. They had finally reached the front of the train and were now one car behind the locomotive. Turuiemon set Kayla down on her feet then faced Arukenimon, who was laughing maniacally as she approached.

"End of the line. Who wants to be first?" said Arukenimon, a malicious grin on her face.

"Neither of us, Gauntlet Claw!" Turuiemon dashed toward Arukenimon.

"So be it."

Turuiemon took several swipes at Arukenimon but was unable to land a single blow. Arukenimon lifted her hand and knocked Turuiemon away with ease. Turuiemon stumbled to the side of the train. Kayla froze when she saw Turuiemon slip off the side of the train car.

"Turuiemon!" cried Kayla, tears beginning to run down her face.

"Well that was easy, now for the main course," said Arukenimon, opening her mouth and revealing a set of sharp fangs.

"Celestial Arrow!" cried Angewomon, sending an arrow flying toward Arukenimon. The arrow landed right in front of Arukenimon, stopping the Digimon's advancement toward Kayla.

"Desolation Claw!" said Cyberdramon, sending a series of white energy beams in the shape of crescents toward Arukenimon. The attack collided with Arukenimon and sent her back a few steps.

"Gauntlet Claw!" said Turuiemon, striking Arukenimon directly in her back. Arukenimon was sent flying off the side of the train.

"You're ok," said Kayla upon seeing her partner.

"You alright Kayla?" yelled Albert from MachGaogamon's palm. The Digimon partners were flying alongside the train over the canyon below.

"Yeah, I'm alright," answered Kayla. Turuiemon took a place right next to her partner's side.

"We'll get you off of that train in no time," said Javi.

"How did you…" started Kayla, turning to her partner.

"MachGaogamon caught me just as I began to fall off then set me on one of the cars behind this one so I could surprise Arukenimon from behind."

"I'm so glad you ok. I thought that I had lost you."

"Nope, it'll take more than a little bug to get rid of me."

"You were so brave. I… I… I know what it means now to be brave. I have to face whatever scares me right?"

"Yep, you got it."

"Did you brats think you could get rid of me so easily?" yelled Arukenimon as she climbed back onto the train car's roof. Kayla and Turuiemon faced Arukenimon upon seeing her appear.

"Oh great she's back," said Brandi.

"You're mine, brat!" said Arukenimon, dashing toward Kayla with her arms extended. Kayla and Turuiemon stood ready for the incoming attack. A large metal claw struck down in front of Kayla, causing Arukenimon to stop and retreat. MetalGreymon flew over head, using his claw to separate Kayla from Arukenimon. Cody jumped from off his partner's back and landed in front of Kayla in a 'heroic' fashion.

"Show off," sighed Javi.

"You have to admit that was pretty cool," responded Cyberdramon.

"You ok sis?" asked Cody, kneeling in front of his sister.

"Yep, even better now that you're here," smiled Kayla.

"That's good to hear," said Cody, putting on of his arms around Kayla and giving her a hug. Cody then turned and faced Arukenimon who looked rather angry with all these interruptions before her meal.

"You really pick on the wrong guy's little sister to mess with."

"That little baby? I would have done you a favor by getting rid of her for you."

"I'm not a baby. I can be brave just like my big brother. You're the one who's being a pest and needs to go away!" yelled Kayla, taking a spot next to Cody.

"You tell her Kayla." Cody encouraged her.

"I'm not going to hold anyone back. I'm going to be brave. I'm going to be brave!" Her crest began to glow bright pink.

_Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

Turuiemon's new form was a lot larger in size, causing MetalGreymon to fly next to the train rather than above it. Antylamon wore a white and purple set of clothes covering her body with a darker purple scarf around her neck. She had long arms that reached to her feet along with a pair of big rabbit ears. The color of her fur matched the same color as her Lopmon form with the same light purple color pattern.

"We did it Kayla. You're virtuous heart helped me Digivolve," said Antylamon.

"So what, you grew bigger. Still won't stop me from getting my supper," said Arukenimon.

"We'll see about that. I won't let you or anything else try and hurt Kayla. Try this move on for size, Bunny Blades!" said Antylamon, leaping into the air. She swiped her hands back and forth, sending waves of pink energy blasts toward Arukenimon. That attacks collided with the evil Digimon and sent her flying off the train into the canyon below.

"I'll get rid of her. Giga Missile!" said MetalGreymon, launching two giant missiles from the metal plate on his chest. The two missiles collided perfectly with their target, turning Arukenimon into bit of data.

Antylamon began to glow white as her form began to change to a much smaller one. The little figure landed in Kayla's open arms. The figure was a small brown Digimon with a pair of short ears and three horns on her head, along with a tiny body.

"You're so cute, what happened to Lopmon?"

"I am Lopmon, just in her In-Training form. My name is Kokomon," smiled the little Digimon. Kayla squeezed her little partner.

"Hey guys, are we late?" yelled TJ from his partner's back. The other group of Digidestined had finally caught up with the first group of Digidestined.

"Only a little!" yelled Albert.

"Let's get off this roof Kayla," said Cody, leading his sister off the train car's roof and into the car below. The others were placed on the roof of the moving train while their partners returned to their rookie forms. The whole Digimon team and their partners gathered around in the train car while the train continued onward.

"Wow Kayla, you had a big day didn't you?" said Ann.

"Yeah, but I wasn't scared… well maybe a little," smiled Kayla. The Digidestined only laughed when Kayla finished.

"I wonder where this train is going?"Andrew mused.

"I never really noticed any rail road tracks when ever we've visited the Digital world before," Winona added.

"Maybe we never noticed till now that we have seen them," put in Renamon.

"Looks like we'll get our answer soon, there's a train station coming up ahead," said Cody, looking out the window. The train began to slow down as it pulled into a train station seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

"Let's get out and look around guys," said Cody.

"What if there's something waiting for us out there?" asked Brandi.

"Then we'll take it out together. Besides where you're sense of…" started TJ.

"Adventure, we know," chimed the whole group altogether, with the exception of TJ, Veemon, Cody, and Agumon. Kayla and Kokomon just laughed while Cody began to open the door.


	53. Ch 53 The Destiny Gate

_**Ch. 53 The Destiny Gate**_

The group exited the train car and stepped onto another loading platform . The train station they were now in resembled an ancient, ruined building made out of stone. Light poured in from the windows etched in the walls.

"Welcome to the Ruin Station," said a voice from behind the group.

"Who said that?" asked Ann, looking around. The whole team and their partners looked back and forth, trying to find the source of the voice.

"I did, youngsters," replied a voice coming from the front of the train.

"Is it just me or did the engine car just talk?" said TJ

"With all that you have seen in the Digital World does it really surprise you?" asked Renamon.

"Hmmm… Oh, the engine car is a Digimon called Locomon," laughed Albert as he read the data presented on his D-Dex. "He's an ultimate level Digimon. He never has to worry about getting to his next stop late since he can use his Wheel Grinder attack to grind any obstacle into dust."

The engine car at the front of the train was solid blue in color with a pair of eyes on the front of his body. There were two arm-like structure above the front wheels with a smoke stack blowing out bursts of smoke on top of his head.

"So you were the one pulling us here," said Kayla, walking up to Locomon.

"Yes I was little missy but to be honest I didn't know you were on board till I felt the rumbling behind me," said Locomon

"Why didn't you stop earlier?" asked Michelle, glaring at Locomon.

"I have a schedule to keep missy."

"So why did you stop here?" asked Cody as he tried to change the subject.

"A friend of mine told me of some human children going to Toy Town and for me to bring them here. Little did I know that the town was under attack so when I saw my chance to leave that place I took it. I had no idea that this youngster was on board alone," answered Locomon, looking down at Kayla.

"Where is here anyways?" asked Agumon.

"This would be the Destiny Ruins which house the Destiny Gate in the center. I am supposed to bring you children here then tell you to head for the Destiny Gate ASAP. Then bring you back to Toy Town so you can go home. My friend is waiting for you at the gate."

"How do we know if we found the Destiny Gate?" questioned Gabumon.

"Trust me, you'll know it when you see it. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to take a nap," said Locomon, drifting off into sleep. Locomon's loud snoring caused the group leave the station quickly. The team walked out of the station to find a vast array of ruins before them. Most of the ancient structures were crumbling around them or had various plants growing on them.

"They got the name right on this place," said Monodramon. He was surveying the surrounding area.

"Ya think?" laughed Javi.

"Let's find that Destiny Gate," said Cody, leading the group through the ruins. The team moved forward through the ancient structures. They walked on and on through the buildings till they found a large clearing with a massive stone circle in the ground.

"Whoa…" started Guilmon.

"Whoa is right," added Veemon.

"I think we found the Destiny Gate." put in Gaomon.

"Yes you did," said Wizardmon, appearing in the center of the stone ring.

"Wizardmon, what are you doing here?" asked Brandi.

"Waiting for you children to show up. I knew that WaruMonzaemon wouldn't be much of a fight against you all so I made my way here and sent Locomon to pick everybody up and bring you here. What I didn't account for was Kayla being on board and being attacked by Arukenimon but she did learn to get her crest to glow so some good did come from this."

"So why did you bring us here?" asked Hawkmon.

"To show you children where Myotismon will appear when the time is right. It will be here at the Destiny Gate where the King of Darkness will show his true form."

"Hey aren't those our crest symbols?" asked Winona, pointing at the engravings along the outer edge of the circle.

"Yeah those are but what are those symbols in the ring below the outer ring?" questioned Salamon, looking at another set of eight symbols below the crest symbols.

"The Destiny Gate has much power sealed deep inside. The eight symbols in the smaller ring below yours are known as the crests of darkness while the outer ring shows the crests of light. Your crests seal the dark crests' power, preventing the powers sealed away from escaping."

"Ok… seal what powers exactly?" asked Andrew.

"The power to travel to the human world, your world."

"So what you're saying is that if we fail to defeat Myotismon here, he can use our crests' power to open a gate to our world?" Cody asked gravely.

"Exactly, I suggest that you children rest and prepare for the battle ahead."

"I guess we should head back and rest," said TJ.

"That would be wise."

The Digidestined nodded and headed back toward the train station. The group boarded the train car and were transported back to the station in Toy Town.

"I hope that the battle will not release the true evil hiding even deeper within our world," sighed Wizardmon, taking one last look at the Destiny Gate before transporting himself back to the Village of Beginnings.

--

Darkness was surrounding her as she stood on the Destiny Gate. Somebody else was standing behind her but she couldn't see who it was. Kayla looked around to see seven figures shrouded in darkness, glaring at her with sets of glowing red eyes.

"Don't be scared Kayla, just face the darkness," said a voice. The voice seemed to emanate from the figure behind her. She recognized the voice yet could not identify who it was.

"But… I'm scared…" said Kayla, trembling. Everything seemed to swirl around her, and then Kayla was on a walkway surrounded by darkness. She could hear several voices yell in the distance, then everything fell silent.

"Kayla, run!" yelled another voice.

"Cody… big brother… help me!" screamed Kayla at the top of her lungs. Kayla awoke from her sleep in her room. Cody barged in the room with Agumon close by. Kokomon had Digivolved into Lopmon when she heard Kayla cry out.

"You alright sis?" asked Cody, sitting on his sister's bed.

"I… I… I think so. I had a bad dream. There were these dark figures and then I heard people screaming then someone telling me to run and…." she started, still shaken from her dream.

"Not you too. First Albert had to put up with all this, and now you," sighed Cody. He took a place next to his sister and put his arm around her. Agumon and Lopmon stood next to the bed, watching the siblings.

"Don't worry about anything Kayla. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you. I'll protect you from anything that tries to get you," said Cody.

"Really?" asked Kayla, falling asleep in her brother's arms.

"Really," assured Cody, falling asleep as well. Agumon and Lopmon just smiled at the sight of the two siblings falling asleep side by side. The two of them returned to their In-Training forms and fell asleep next to their partners.


	54. Ch 54 Hour of the Beast

_**Ch. 54 Hour of the Beast**_

"I'm sorry Cody, this is all my fault. My crest is making her have bad dreams," said Albert, frowning while looking at the ground.

"It's not your fault," said Cody, trying to cheer Albert up. The two of them, along with Kayla, had met early Saturday afternoon with their partners while they waited for the others to show up at the lake. The cold winter air caused them to shiver from time to time. Kayla played with Kokomon in the snow off in the distance while Cody and Albert talked privately.

"Yes it is. My crest caused me to see darkness. Since Kayla's crest is created from both your crest of valor and my crest of purity, she received the same power that I have."

"So, you found a way to get over it," smiled Agumon.

"Not exactly," frowned Gaomon.

"You're still having nightmares?" asked Cody.

"Yeah, but they're not as frequent as they used to be. They seem different this time around though. I'm on the destiny gate and there are these seven pairs of eyes glaring at me. Somebody is trembling behind me then I can remember trying to calm them down but I can't remember what I'm saying. Then everything changes to where I'm in this castle and somebody with a real evil voice is laughing in the background, and then I hear screaming and after that I wake up." Albert looked up into the sky.

"Kayla had the same dream."

"Let me talk to her for a bit and see if I can calm her down."

"If anybody can find a way for her to control the nightmare it would be Albert," smiled Gaomon.

"Thanks Albert," said Cody.

"No problem, I owe you one anyways for all the times you helped me."

"Hey guy!" yelled Ann, approaching the two of them from the distance with the other members of the Digidestined Team. They all gathered around while Winona set up her laptop to the Toy Town location.

"So are we ready? Today is the big day," said Winona, finishing with her laptop and facing the group. Everybody gave a slight nod while Cody approached the laptop screen with his Digivice in hand.

"Digiport Open!" said Cody, causing the group to appear in Toy Town and were quickly greeted by Leomon and Wizardmon.

"So are you children ready? Myotismon will return and reveal his true form in only… " started Leomon.

"3 more hours, and yes we are ready," said TJ, looking at his watch.

"You will need to take the train to the Destiny Ruins since there is no active Digital Gateway there," said Wizardmon, leading the group to the train station.

"Where ever happened to Monzaemon? We could never find him when we were here the other day," asked Brandi.

"Oh, he's fine. After you children left to investigate Toy Town, Monzaemon appeared asking if the town was ok. He is currently working on rebuilding the town, as WaruMonzaemon had destroyed it," answered Wizardmon.

Once the group found the train station, they boarded with train car along with Leomon and Wizardmon. Locomon, after realizing everybody was on board, began his trip to the Destiny Ruins with the group in tow. Cody pulled Kayla aside along with Lopmon and guided her to a separate car where Albert and Gaomon were already waiting.

"Hey Kayla, so I heard you're having some really bad dreams lately huh?" said Albert, kneeling down beside Kayla.

"Yeah…" sighed Kayla.

"You know you're not the only one who has bad dreams every night. Albert here has the same problem," said Gaomon.

"Really?" said Kayla, almost relieved to hear she wasn't the only one with this problem.

"Yeah, way back when we first came to the Digital World, I had the same problem. Night after night I could never sleep cause I was always scared that I would be haunted by the same nightmare over and over again."

"Luckily, he found a way to control it," said Cody from behind.

"You see Kayla, you and I have a gift. Your crest was created from my crest along with your brother's crest, meaning you inherited the same power I have."

"Both you and Albert can sense darkness from others' hearts along with light in their hearts. This also means that you can sense when an evil presence is going to appear," added Gaomon.

"So how do I use it and how can I stop having nightmares?" asked Kayla.

"It's simple if you think about it. Just close your eyes…" began Albert, performing the gesture while Kayla copied the move.

"Now think of something that makes you happy, something special and close to your heart."

"Ok…" said Kayla, thinking about everything she liked. Kayla found one memory that she cherished most and began to focus on that one moment.

"Ok now, let that feeling flow through your body giving you warmth. Once you feel that warmth you can feel that warmth from other people. This means that you are sensing their inner light. If you feel cold while doing this then you are surrounded by darkness. If you can focus on the warm feeling then you can stop the darkness that haunts your dreams," explained Albert as he opened his eyes.

"I can feel it. The warmth deep inside me," said Kayla as she began to open her eyes.

"Remember that this ability will take time to master fully," put in Gaomon.

"At least you can try and stop having nightmares," smiled Lopmon.

The door behind the group opened as Michelle poked her head out from behind it.

"We're here guys."

The group exited the train while Locomon began to take his nap. After exiting the station the group saw that the sky overhead was completely black with what appeared to be storm clouds forming overhead. The clouds spiraled around what appeared to be the center of the Destiny Gate. The group approached the massive stone circle and stood by, looking into the sky.

"How much longer till his royal highness appears?" asked Javi with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

"About… forget it, it's time," said Winona, looking at her watch.

The ground beneath them began to shake violently. The clouds spiraled quicker as a black mass began to arise from the center of the stone circle. The mass of darkness reached a height that matched the size of a skyscraper. The mass began to take shape, forming a slightly humanish figure.

"So you have come to destroy me," echoed a voice. The black mass formed a set of large legs covered in black fur, with pale claws on the bottom. The legs seemed to stop appearing after reaching a presumably waist-level height.

"You have come to stop the darkness from consuming not only the digital world but also the human world," continued the voice as a body-like structure appeared. The lower half of the body was black with a set of red eye like marks resembling a spider. The upper portion of the body was blood red.

"You Digidestined have also located the tenth child whose power combined with yours will defeat me as you say," added the voice as a set of long arms appeared from the dark mass. The arms were solid red with a set of claws growing from the palms on the ends of each arm.

"I have been reborn, Digidestined, as the true King of Darkness," continued the ominous voice as a set of tattered red wings appeared to sprout from the continuously growing creature.

"And now it is time for you Digidestined, along with your pathetic partners…" laughed the voice as the head began to appear. The figure's head resembled Myotismon's, but with a red mask covering a much larger portion of his face. A set of messy yellow hair seemed to give the figure a more human-like appearance.

"TO DIE!" screamed the creature as his transformation from black nothingness to Digimon finished.

"VenomMyotismon, a demon beast Type Digimon, his two attacks, Venom Infusion and Tyrant Savage are all he needs to dispose of anybody who opposes him. This is the real deal, guys," said Albert as he finished reading the data from his D-Dex.

"We can't lose her guys. We have to stop him here and now!" yelled Cody.

"Let's send this guy back to where he came from!" said Ann.

"Let's do this!" yelled Agumon. The Digidestined stood ready with their Digivices in hand and their crests beginning to glow in their respective colors.


	55. Ch 55 King of Darkness

_**Ch. 55 King of Darkness**_

"Now, Digivolve!" said the Digidestined altogether.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon, Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

"Get him guys!" said Cody, pointed toward VenomMyotismon. The whole team of Digimon charged toward VenomMyotismon at full speed.

"Giga Missile!" cried MetalGreymon, sending two missiles toward VenomMyotismon and colliding with the evil Digimon dead on.

"Talisman of Light!" said Taomon, creating her mystic symbol of the air.

"Let's combined attacks, Celestial Arrow!" said Angewomon, sending her arrow through Taomon's attack. The arrow carried the talisman and collided with VenomMyotismon directly.

"Desolation Claw!" said Cyberdramon, attacking from the right.

"Bunny Blades!" said Antylamon, attacking from the left. Both the attacks covered VenomMyotismon's body with a flurry of crescent shaped blades.

"Wing Blade!" said Garudamon, launching her flaming attack.

"Let me help, V-Wing Blade!" said AeroVeedramon, adding to the intensity of Garudamon's attack with his own attack power.

"Atomic Blaster1" said WarGrowlmon, aiming straight for VenomMyotismon's chest region.

"Wolf Claw!" said WereGarurumon, sending a flurry of blue blades toward the giant Digimon.

"Howling Cannon!" cried MachGaogamon as a series of blue rings collided with VenomMyotismon's face region.

VenomMyotismon's body was covered with black smoke as the Digidestined cheered.

"That did it," smiled TJ.

"Some king of darkness," laughed Javi.

"He's not gone," said Kayla, shivering.

"But…" started Michelle.

"It's true-his presence is still there," added Albert.

The smoke cleared, revealing VenomMyotismon still standing and looking as if he had never been attacked. His whole body was damage free.

"Thought that would be too easy," growled Andrew.

"We still have a long battle," said Winona, assessing the situation.

"Looks that way," added Brandi with a frown.

"We can't give up yet," smiled Ann.

"That's the spirit!" laughed Cody.

"You Digidestined brats have been pestering all my plans. Let me return the favor of you all presenting me with your attacks. Venom Infusion!" cried VenomMyotismon. The eyes on his lower body began to glow in a flurry of colors. The light shot off, striking the ground at multiple angles. The team dodged the attack just in time to avoid a hit. A few stray shots collided with several of the surrounding structures, turning them into nothing but bits of data.

"Let's keep at it guys," growled MetalGreymon, leading the charge.

"We can't give up and lose to him," said Angewomon, launching her arrows.

"What did the prophecy say again toward the end? After the tenth child was discovered?" asked Albert, turning to Wizardmon.

Wizardmon thought back to what he had read to the Digidestined before. "Well it said that the power of the tenth child combined with the other Digidestined children would stop the King of Darkness by creating a miracle."

"What does it mean by combining powers and what's this miracle?" asked Winona.

"You're the one with the crest of wisdom remember. Try and figure it out!" barked TJ while watching the great battle that raged before the group.

"That last part only said a miracle would happen," frowned Ann.

"It's kinda vague," added Javi.

"Is there anything else to the prophecy that you didn't tell us before? You only gave us a bit of a summary, not the whole thing." Andrew pointed out.

"Well… if I remember correctly there was one section that I only translated after you children left. The text proclaimed that 'the one of virtue will unlock the heart of the one they most care about.' I could never figure that part out."

"Unlock the heart of the one most they most care about…" started Winona, thinking hard.

"Well Kayla is obviously the one with the virtuous heart," said Michelle.

"So how does that fit her into the prophecy?" asked TJ, still watching the battle.

"If she were to unlock the heart of the one she most cares about, that would mean that she has to help Cody in some way," said Albert, beginning to align the pieces of the prophecy puzzle.

"Ok but what does unlock the heart mean?" asked Winona.

"Guys! You better figure something out fast!" yelled Cody, his eyes still fixed on the battle field. VenomMyotismon was still fighting the team's Digimon partners, and he seemed as if he was never tiring.

"You are beginning to bore me. Tyrant Savage!" cried VenomMyotismon, swinging his arms rapidly in the air. The team's Digimon were knocked into the surrounding buildings looking a bit worse for wear.

MetalGreymon rose up and began to charge toward VenomMyotismon despite his now- injured state. "I won't let you win!"

"Pathetic," laughed VenomMyotismon. One swipe form his massive arm cause MetalGreymon to return to his Agumon form.

"If we could figure out how Kayla is suppose to unlock Cody's heart we'd be in… I got it! Cody, come here!" exclaimed Albert. He then knelt down next to Kayla, who looked rather confused.

"I'm so stupid. I never saw this before until now. Kayla, both you and your brother's crests are connected. For somebody to fight with valor and courage, they have to be virtuous to really know what they are fighting for. That being said, Kayla, aim your Digivice at your brother's heart and let's hope my theory works," Albert explained quickly to the two.

"That has got to be the craziest thing I've ever heard," said Cody.

"But it makes sense. I just got it and Albert's idea might be the only option we have. I trust him," said Winona.

"Of all the most convoluted plans we've ever come up with…" started Javi.

"Albert's never been wrong before so just do it. We don't have many other choices," said TJ.

Cody walked in front of Kayla and pulled out his tag and crest so that they were displayed on his chest. Cody then opened his arms out wide. "Do what you have got to do sis."

Kayla just stood up with her Digivice in hand and her crest glowing brightly. She aimed her Digivice toward Cody, directly for the center of his chest. Using the tag and crest as a guide.

"What of this doesn't work Albert?" asked Brandi nervously.

"I have no idea," smiled Albert.

"Oh boy," sighed Michelle.

Kayla closed her eyes, seeing her light blossom before them. Something deep inside her was guiding her aim and telling her something to say. Kayla opened her eyes with a final lock on Cody's heart. A beam of pink light shot out form her Digivice toward Cody, striking him directly on his tag and crest. Cody felt a surge of power rush through his body.

"Unlock, Valor!" yelled Kayla.

Cody's whole body began to glow with a bright red aura. His crest and Digivice began to glow the same color.

"What is this?" asked VenomMyotismon, seeing the light.

"A miracle! Agumon, Digivolve!"


	56. Ch 56 Miracle

_**Ch. 56 Miracle**_

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

WarGreymon stood before VenomMyotismon after his transformation was complete. He had an orange body covered with armor. The central pieces of WarGreymon's armor were chrome and the outer most pieces gold. His head now bore a chrome helmet with his red hair sticking out from the back. A large shield on his back had another odd symbol engraved upon it.

The light had finally subsided, leaving Cody a bit dazed. He collected himself to see Kayla in Albert's arms, unconscious. Cody walked over to Albert, who placed Kayla into Cody's now extended arms.

"She's alright, just fainted from the whole experience," said Michelle.

"Thanks…" replied Cody.

"So you now defy me. I will defeat you like I did all your friends!" laughed VenomMyotismon.

"Venom Infusion!"

A series of multicolored beams shot toward WarGreymon. The shield upon his back opened, allowing WarGreymon to fly into the air and dodge the attack with ease.

"Ha, you call that an attack? This is an attack, Mega Claw!" said WarGreymon, spinning around and around. A massive orange cyclone formed around his body. WarGreymon guided the attack to strike VenomMyotismon. The dark Digimon let out a cry of pain while taking several steps back and WarGreymon stopped his rotating.

"But… how can you harm me?" asked VenomMyotismon in shock.

"I have the true strength of valor now burning within me. There is no opponent that I cannot defeat."

"I can't believe you figured that out," said Wizardmon, a bit spellbound.

"Neither can I," said Albert.

"Good thing you did though. Think WarGreymon can take out VenomMyotismon all by himself?" TJ asked.

"We're gonna have to hope so," replied Ann.

"He won't do it alone," said AeroVeedramon, rising up.

"We'll be right there fighting alongside him," said MachGaogamon. All the teams' fallen partners were rising up off the spots that they had landed in earlier in the battle.

"We can't let him cover our world in darkness," said Cyberdramon.

"If he does that, your world will be taken to," added WarGrowlmon.

"We'll never let him get that chance," said Garudamon.

"We care about you guys too much to let that happen," put in Angewomon.

"Awww… guys," started Brandi.

"Uhh… What happened?" asked Kayla groggily as she awoke from her slumber. Cody moved his sister so that she was now being carried on his back.

"You pulled an Albert and fell asleep mid-battle," laughed Javi.

"I knew that you would be special to the team. You just had to be brave," said Antylamon.

"Told you she held great power within her," said Taomon.

"Who knew?" shrugged Winona with a smile

"I say we end this once and for all," growled WereGarurumon, taking an attack stance. The remaining team members charged toward VenomMyotismon, WarGreymon leading the attack.

"There has to be something we can do to help them," said Michelle.

"If they are willing to fight for both worlds, so am I," said TJ boldly.

"And me," said Cody.

"Don't forget about me," smiled Ann.

"Or me," said Javi.

"Or us," said Albert, Brandi, Andrew, and Winona.

"You guys almost forgot me," laughed Kayla, still on Cody's back.

All their crests began to glow, revealing a soft, gentle light. Their crest symbols along the edge of the Destiny Gate began to glow in the same manner. The various colored illuminated the dark sky above them, and VenomMyotismon panicked a bit when he saw this happening.

"What is all this? What is this light that blinds me!?"

"Wolf Claw!" said WereGarurumon, attacking VenomMyotismon with a series of blue blades.

"Wing Blade!" cried Garudamon, attacking the evil Digimon with her blazing attack.

"Desolation Claw!" yelled Cyberdramon, sending a series of white, crescent blades toward VenomMyotismon.

"Celestial Arrow!" said Angewomon, launching her arrow toward the great King of Darkness.

The four attacks collided with VenomMyotismon, sending him stumbling back onto the center circle on the Destiny Gate. A small tear in his lower body began to form and make itself visible to the Digidestined. The great Digimon yelled in pain as the light around him grew brighter.

"Keep going guys!" yelled Javi.

"We can't let him win," added Michelle.

"Don't give up!" put in Brandi.

"We believe in you!" continued Ann.

"Talisman of Light!" said Taomon, creating her mystic symbol then launching it toward VenomMyotismon.

"Atomic Blaster!" yelled WarGrowlmon, shooting his twin beam attack toward the great beast before him.

"V-Wing Blade!" cried AeroVeedramon, sending his barrage of energy waves toward the evil being.

"Howling Cannon!" bellowed MachGaogamon, his series of blue rings hurtling toward VenomMyotismon.

"He's wearing down guys!" yelled Andrew.

"You're almost there!" put in TJ.

"Keep it up!" added Winona.

"He's almost had it!" said Albert

The combined attacks collided with VenomMyotismon, causing him to let out another cry of pain. The small tear in VenomMyotismon's abdomen began to open wider. A small Digimon could be seen emerging from the body of the dark Digimon, but still seemed to be attached to the great king.

"Yuk, what's that thing?" pointed out Ann.

"That must be his true inner form. If we get rid of that…" started Winona.

"We take out the King of Evil," finished Albert.

"You brat's won't get rid of me!" cried the evil creature.

"Bunny Blades!" cried Antylamon, sending several pink blades toward the small creature forming in Myotismon. The creature cried in pain, causing VenomMyotismon to yell also.

"This will end it. Terra Force!" yelled WarGreymon, holding his arms up in the air. A large red orb formed above WarGreymon. He quickly threw the orb with all his might toward VenomMyotismon's inner self.

"Come on guys!" yelled Kayla.

"Finish him!" cried Cody.

The orb collided with the creature inside of VenomMyotismon, causing him to cry out one more time in pain. His body could no longer contain his form as pieces began to disappear one by one. After all the pieces had disappeared, a large black mass appeared above the gate, swirling around and around.

"You can't get rid of me… you can't get rid of the darkness," echoed the voice.

The crest symbols on the outer ring of the Destiny Gate began to glow even brighter. The outer circle began to rotate around and around as the lights began to spiral in an opposite direction from the dark mass. The lights moved faster and faster, causing the mass to circle around and around inside the ring. The powers of the crests were sucking the darkness into the gate.

"No… no!" yelled a voice, then everything went silent.

"Did we do it? Is he really gone?" asked Kayla.

"I can't sense any darkness left…" started Albert.

"So you mean…" started Cody with a smile.

"The King of Darkness is no more!' yelled Albert in triumph. The whole team began to cheer and rejoice in the fact that their great enemy was finally gone from the Digital World.


	57. Ch 57 Just Another Lazy Day

_**Ch. 57 Just Another Lazy Day**_

The winter days were coming to an end now. The once-freezing days were being replaced with warmer temperatures and the signs of new life blooming from beneath the snow. VenomMyotismon's defeat gave the Digidestined more time to relax and kick back without having to worry about the Digital World being overtaken by darkness.

Cody and TJ were currently at TJ's ranch throwing a baseball back and forth while Agumon and Veemon watched. The Digimon's eyes focused on the ball as it moved from one point to another.

"So what do you think we should do now that the ol' King of Darkness is gone?" asked Tj, throwing the baseball to Cody.

"I don't know. I think we're done with the whole fighting evil thing," said Cody, throwing the ball back to TJ.

"Guess we can take it easy now."

"Guess so.:

"Then that means we have more time to play," smiled Veemon.

"And we can probably go to the Digital World to relax more," added Agumon.

"There have been a few places that I wouldn't mind revisiting. It would be nice to go and not worry about something trying to kill us," laughed Cody.

"Yeah it would," said TJ with a smile. "When baseball season kicks up in a few more days, that'll give us something to do."

"Yeah, almost forgot about that," said Cody, almost lost in thought. Part of him was glad to be done with going to the Digital World and not fighting against any dangerous enemies, more so now that Kayla had been made a Digidestined. However, part of him loved going on adventures and exploring a vast new world.

"Earth to Cody!" yelled Veemon.

"Come in Cody," added Agumon. Cody snapped out of his daze and smiled.

"Sorry about that."

"Where's your sister Cody? I thought you had to babysit again," said TJ, walking up to him.

"Oh, Brandi offered to take Kayla with her and Ann to the lake to pick flowers or something like that."

"Guess we should continue practicing," laughed TJ as the two of them returned to throwing the baseball back and forth.

--

"These things are so pretty" smiled Lopmon, picking up several small flowers in her little hand. The flowers offered a beautiful array of colors.

"I know, thanks for bringing me here Brandi. If I went with Cody, I'd be bored watching him play baseball with TJ," smiled Kayla, picking several flowers.

"You're quiet welcome Kayla," said Brandi.

"Always fun to have more along with us," added Salamon, hopping through the flowers.

"You're one of us girls now. Trust us, the guys are cool and all but we need our time too," laughed Ann, making a crown out of several small yellow flowers. She placed the crown on Hawkmon's head.

"I love the way the sun feels on my feathers," said Hawkmon as she stretched her wings. The sun was giving off a soothing radiance that would make anybody want to just laze around and smell the roses.

The trio with their partners continued to play in the beautiful garden grown by Mother Nature herself, without any worries about evil forces after them.

--

"I'm gonna win!" mocked Javi.

"You wish!" laughed Andrew.

The two of them sat in front of a large TV screen playing a video game with controllers in hand. Monodramon and Guilmon watched in confusion as their two partners played their game.

"Have any idea what's going on?" asked Guilmon.

"Nope, not a thing," responded Monodramon.

"Aren't your parents going to catch sight of our partners here?" asked Javi, still focused on the game at hand.

"Nope, they're out of town at the moment so we have the whole house to ourselves and nobody would ever know we have digital partners."

"Works for me."

"When do we get a turn?" asked Monodramon.

"When you grow opposable thumbs," laughed Javi.

"Thumbs?" Guilmon asked, looking down at his claws.

"I'll explain later buddy," smiled Andrew

--

Winona sat under a large oak tree by the lakeside with a book in hand. She rather enjoyed the peace and quiet the lake had to offer. Renamon sat atop one of the higher branches of the tree, looking into the deep blue sky above.

"Such a beautiful day and you spend it reading out here," said Michelle as she approached Winona with Gabumon by her side.

"I like to read," said Winona, still absorbed in her book.

"It's all she ever does," added Renamon, jumping down and gracefully landing on the ground.

"You know, there are more things to do besides read all the time," said Gabumon.

"Yeah, we're gonna go join the other girls and pick flowers in a field nearby. Why don't you come along?" smiled Michelle.

"I rather like what I'm doing…. hey what are you doing?" cried Winona as she was raised off the ground.

"Giving you a chance to have fun," said Renamon, a small smile showing on her face.

"Can't be a book worm forever," laughed Michelle.

"Books have worms?" said Gabumon, looking confused.

--

Albert lay back on his bed, looking up into the ceiling above. He let out a small yawn as he stared at the blank whiteness. The night sky could be seen from the window next to his bed. Stars littered the night sky above, along with a beautiful full moon that let its light shine into Albert's darkened room.

"What you thinking about?" asked Gaomon, taking a spot next to Albert and looking up at the ceiling above as well.

"Oh… nothing."

"Like I believe that," laughed Gaomon. "Come on, out with it."

"It's just… now that the darkness is gone… what do we do know? Is our job as Digidestined over or is there something else left to do?"

"Well, you haven't been able to sense anything wrong yet so maybe things are going to be peaceful for once."

"Maybe. I'm still wondering about the dream me and Kayla had. We wouldn't have had it if it didn't mean something." Albert sighed.

"I say give it time. For once you have had a nice day without a care in the world. Enjoy it."

"That's true," laughed Albert.

"That's the smile I always like to see," grinned Gaomon.

"Gaomon… I'm glad that of all the Digimon I could have gotten… I got you as a partner."

"Me too, I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

The two of them began to drift off in to sleep. Albert, for once, did not have a nightmare to keep him up all night.


	58. Ch 58 Deadly Seven

_**Ch. 58 Deadly Seven**_

"_Oh my… how things have changed since we were sealed away…"_

"_Yes. This world is teeming with light. The fool Myotismon has failed."_

"_His mission simple but those brats stopped him. We must snuff out this light that shines in the Digital World. "_

"_So says we. The seven strongest Digimon to ever be created."_

"_I think it's time that we changed a few things."_

"_I agree, let us start the Digital World's reconstruction and proclaim it as our own."_

"_All we need to do is get rid of the Digidestined…."_

With little to do in the Digital world, the Digidestined returned to their normal lives while still hiding their partners' identities. Winona sat down start looking up things at her computer in her room, Viximon and the cat asleep on her bed and looking rather peaceful. She had just returned home from school and was settled down doing her homework. The bright sun shone into her room from a window.

"So bored… Hey what's this?" she mused as she looked over the map of the Digital World. The map would remain stable and then fade out, only to return as if nothing had happened.

"Ok…"

"What's wrong?" Viximon asked, waking up and leaping into Winona's lap.

"The Digital World map is acting funny. I can't even select one location to transfer to."

A small envelope appeared in the lower left portion of the screen, showing that Winona had received a message. Winona clicked on the envelope and read the message, her eyes opening wide as she read the letter's contents.

"What does it say?" said Viximon, trying to read the message.

"No time. We got to get the others," said Winona, putting on her shoes and using her D-Dex to message the other Digidestined. Viximon hoped into Winona's backpack while she stuffed her laptop into the bag as well.

--

"Ok out with it. What is this big emergency?" asked Cody. He and TJ were dressed in their baseball uniforms, bags thrown over their shoulders.

"Yeah, some of us were in the middle of something," growled Michelle; she and Albert were dressed in their scrubs.

Everybody had met by the lake like they usually do before their trips to the Digital World, most of them looking rather annoyed to have left their current activities to rush over to the lakeside.

"We got a big problem in the Digital World," Winona explained as she set up her laptop on a stump.

"Problem? I though Myotismon and his former VenomMyotismon self were finally gone," said Ann looking confused.

"So did I, but I got this message from Wizardmon earlier. Problem is that the message is screwed up so only some parts are revealed. I'll read what I can; 'Emergency… Digital World in chaos… land shifting… water rising… splitting apart… dark skies… returned from… Lords'… that's all I can read."

"Then we better head out," said TJ, holding up his Digivice to the screen, the others copying the motion.

"But the map is acting funny, we could be dumped anywhere."

"Chance we'll have to take if the Digital World is in danger," Andrew replied to Winona's statement.

"Digiport open!" cried the group together. They were all sucked through the computer screen and sent to the Digital World. They were dumped into the Village of Beginnings, but the area was no longer a happy place. The bright colors were now dull and grey. The once blue sky above was a deep grey. The group was no longer soft but hard and cold.

"What happened?" said Brandi in shock.

"What happened indeed…" said Hawkmon, flying overhead to survey the area from above. The team trekked through the area's now darkened state till they found the location of where the Digi-Eggs once sat. All the eggs were now solid grey in color, lifeless.

"No… Not the little ones…." said Salamon.

"Who or what did all this?" asked Agumon, looking rather angry.

"Something lower than scum," growled Veemon.

The ground below the Digidestined began to shake and rumble. A large crack suddenly formed below the team, swallowing them all up into the depths of the earth.

"Guys!" yelled their Digital partners, diving after them.

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon, Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

Each of the Digimon partners was able to catch their falling companions, Garudamon taking Winona and Taomon while MachGaogamon took Michelle and WereGarurumon. The team followed the dark crack in the ground further and further down till they felt something hard beneath their feet form. After deeming it safe, the Digidestined were placed on the ground.

"Where are we?" asked Albert, looking around.

"Who knows? These things always happen to us," sighed Javi.

Suddenly, all the tags and crests began to glow, illuminating the ground below them. Copies of their crest symbols could be seen glowing in a circular pattern around the team. Along with the team's crests, eight other crest symbols began to glow in a smaller circle under the Digidestined crest ring.

"Wait a minute. This is the Destiny Gate," said Winona, examining the glowing lights.

"But that's suppose to be in the Destiny Ruins… not down here," said Kayla.

"_Hahaha… So you're the Digidestined. It is nice to meet all of you. Allow us to introduce ourselves," _echoed a voice from the darkness.

"Who's there?" asked WarGreymon.

"Barbamon, Demon Lord of Greed," said one creature, appearing from the darkness. The Digimon had a large black poncho around his body and a gold necklace embedded with red stones. It had red wings protruding from its back, along with flowing grey hair showing from beneath the poncho.

"Beelzemon, Demon Lord of Gluttony," said another Digimon, appearing before the group. The Digimon wore a complete biker suit made out of black leather. Pieces of silver armor were implanted in his leather jacket, and he clutched two pistols in his hands.

"Belphemon, Demon Lord of Sloth," echoed a third Digital Creature. The Digimon resembled a bat in the shape of a human being, completely black in color with purple on his wings. His large fangs and wings were visible in the darkness, along with claws and a pair of horns on top of his head.

"Daemon, Demon Lord of Wrath," said another ominous voice. The Digimon that appeared had a set of large purple wings exiting his back. He wore a set of red robes covering his entire body, a single pair of red eyes glaring at the Digidestined.

"Leviamon, Demon Lord of Envy," snarled another Digimon's voice. The Digimon that appeared resembled a crocodile with a red colored body, long snout, and tail that split in two. He had small patches of blue fur showing alongside the edge of his back along with pieces of black scales.

"Lilithmon, Demon Lord of Lust," said a female voice. A human like Digimon appeared, wearing a set of purple robes with black clothing underneath. The main feature on this Digimon, one that sent shivers down the Digidestined's spines, was that her right hand was decaying.

"Finally I, Lucemon, Demon Lord of Pride," laughed the final Digimon to appear. He looked angelic almost, yet there was a devilish look to his appearance. Half of him was white, with beautiful angel wings growing from his back; yet the other half had black clothing and a set of darker, fiendish wings.

"We've watched you brats come to our world spreading you're pathetic light," said Lilithmon.

"We watched as you came with your little partners, laughing having fun. Terms that we despise dearly," said Daemon.

"So by the order of us seven Demon Lords, you all must be destroyed immediately," laughed Beelzemon.

"Don't worry, the Digital World will be reconstructed," growled Leviamon.

"To fit a utopia of our own," said Belphemon.

"A world that will be free from certain… aspects we deem weak," added Barbamon.

"And once this world is ours, I think we'll have to conquer your world next," laughed Lucemon, all the Demon Lords laughing with him.

"You'll have to get through us to try it!" yelled Cody. The team braced themselves for another fight. Their work was still far from over in the Digital World.


	59. Ch 59 The Demon Lords Reign

_**Ch. 59 The Demon Lords Reign**_

"V-Wing Blade!" yelled AeroVeedramon, sending his attack flying toward Daemon.

"Pathetic," Daemon said, stopping the attack mid-air. "Try this one on for size, Evil Inferno!" A series of black flames shot toward AeroVeedramon, striking him and sending him back to his Veemon form. Veemon fell to the ground, only to be caught by TJ.

"You ok buddy?" asked TJ.

"What hit me," asked Veemon in a daze.

"Wing Blade!" cried Garudamon, sending her flaming aura toward Barbamon.

"Crimson Flare!" said Barbamon, sending a beam of red energy toward her incoming attack. Barbamon's attack cut right through Garudamon's attack, striking her and causing her to go back to the Hawkmon form, landing in Ann's open arms.

"Speak to me Hawkmon," said Ann.

""Wolf Claw!" said WereGarurumon, charging toward Beelzemon.

"Desolation Claw!" said Cyberdramon attacking the Demon Lord with his own attack.

"This is too easy. Double impact!" laughed Beelzemon, using his pistols to shoot off two black energy orbs toward the incoming Digimon. Both Cyberdramon and WereGarurumon were struck by this attack, causing them to topple over and revert to their rookie forms. Javi and Michelle ran to their partners' aide.

"You ok Monodramon?" asked Javi.

"Say something, anything Gabumon!" cried Michelle.

"Howling Cannon!" cried MachGaogamon, his powerful attack aimed at Belphemon. The evil Digimon just shrugged off the attack and returned one of his own.

"Gift of Darkness!" said the evil Digimon, holding out his hands. A beam of black energy surrounded MachGaogamon returning him to his Gaomon form, then fell to the ground and began to shiver. Albert ran to his partner.

"You ok?" asked Albert.

"Yeah… I know how you feel when the darkness surrounds you," said Gaomon, still shivering.

"Bunny Blades!" said Antylamon trying to land an attack on Leviamon.

"Let me help, Atomic Blaster!" said WarGrowlmon, sending his attack flying toward Leviamon.

"Cauda!" said Leviamon, slamming his rather large snout into the ground. A series of jet streams shot out from the ground and struck the two Digimon to send them back to the rookie stage.

"Guilmon, get up," said Andrew, shaking his dazed partner.

"Please Lopmon, don't leave me," cried Kayla, tears forming in her eyes.

"Celestial Arrow!" cried Angewomon, taking aim with her bow.

"Talisman of Light!" chanted Taomon, forming her attack.

"Nazar Nail!" laughed Lilithmon, forming a razor sharp claw with her decayed hand. Before Taomon or Angewomon could attack, Lilithmon struck the two Digimon with swift speed, sending them back to the rookie stage.

"Salamon, are you hurt?" asked Brandi, holding her partner in her arms.

"Come on Renamon," said Winona.

"Terra Force!" cried WarGreymon forming a large, glowing orange sphere in his hands. He then flung the orb toward Lucemon who, with one gentle sweep of his hand, sent the orb flying into the darkness.

"Impressive, but not as impressive as this, Paradise Lost Punch!" said Lucemon, charging toward the dinosaur Digimon. Lucemon delivered a swift series of punches, sending WarGreymon flying toward the ground. WarGreymon could no longer hold his mega form and returned to his Agumon stage. Cody picked up his partner.

"Come on Agumon, you have to fight."

"Pathetic Digidestined," laughed Lucemon as the Demon Lords gathered around him. All the Digidestined were back to back on the center of the Destiny Gate, holding their unconscious partners.

"With this, I end your insignificant lives, Ultimate Sacrifice!" said Lucemon, summoning two orbs in his hands. One orb glowed with a brilliant white light, while the other glowed with a malicious black light. He dropped the two orbs toward the Digidestined.

"Anybody got a plan?" asked TJ.

"Magical Game!" echoed Wizardmon's voice as a white streak of lights pierced the darkness. Once the light subsided, the Digidestined, along with their partners, had vanished, much to the displeasure of the Demon Lords.

The Digidestined soon found themselves back inside Locomon's train cars. The sky outside the windows was black as night but without starts or a moon.

"I'm so glad you children are alright," said Wizardmon, looking over the Digidestined.

"Who were those guys?" asked Cody, still spellbound over what had just happened.

"I have much to tell you kids," frowned Wizardmon. The Digidestined all sat down on the various seats inside the train car. Leomon soon appeared from the door behind Wizardmon and greeted the group.

"As you have already found out, there is still much work left to be done for our world," said Leomon.

"Yeah, I though with Myotismon gone, all the darkness had finally left this world," said TJ.

"That is unfortunately untrue, you only managed to destroy a physical form that the darkness created then reseal it into the Destiny Gate."

"So we only sealed away the darkness? In that case, what let it out?" asked Winona.

"The power of the crests of light sealed the darkness but in doing so, released the eight crests of darkness into the Digital World, freeing the seven Demon Lords," explained Wizardmon.

"Demon Lords?" questioned Brandi.

"They are seven of the darkest Digimon to ever walk this world. They were sealed deep within the Digital World in hopes that they would never be freed again," Leomon explained.

"They were created from the eight seals of the crests of darkness being Pride, Lust, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, and Envy," continued Wizardmon.

"That's only seven of the eight dark crests," Kayla countered him.

"The eighth seal is Chaos but no Digimon was ever created from its power. The effects that the Demon Lords have on the Digital World are what cause the Chaos seal to glow," said Leomon.

"What about the Digital World? In your message you said something about it splitting," put in Andrew.

"Yes, the presence of the Demon lords has warped our World, splitting it apart then reconfiguring it to this newer form. Those large islands you see out the windows are only connected by these tracks." Wizardmon pointed. The Digidestined looked out the windows of the train to see at least several floating chunks of the Digital World floating over the black nothingness below.

"Let me guess, each island is controlled by a Demon Lord?" said Javi.

"Yes, there are seven regions that they have created to fit their own desires. There is one small island that we have found as a safe haven for us to stay on for the time being," said Wizardmon.

"What are the regions that the Demon Lords live in?" asked Ann.

"Those would be the ocean, forest, city, mountain, jungle, sky, and ruin regions. Which Demon Lord lives where is unknown to me."

"Our belief is that if the Demon Lord who controls a region is defeated, that region's data will reconfigure itself to reform back to its original state," added Leomon. "For now though we'll have to get you children back to your world so that you can rest."

"The island we reside on has the only safe portal for you all to travel back home to," added Wizardmon.

"Anybody have any ideas on what to do? You saw how easily they took down all our partners. WarGreymon was at the mega level and they still defeated him," sighed Michelle.

"I think I have an idea," said Albert suddenly.

"And that would be…" started Winona.

"If my theory with Kayla and Cody worked, then we might just be able to unlock each other's hearts like how Kayla unlocked Cody's heart. Thing is, I don't have any idea on how it works," sighed Albert.

"Better than nothing, let's get home so we can rest then get rid of these clowns," said Cody confidently. Their leader's confidence brought new hope to the Digidestined team as Locomon continued onward to the only safe island in the now shattered Digital World.


	60. Ch 60 Unlocking the Heart

_**Ch. 60 Unlocking the Heart**_

The Digidestined met right away the following day at the lake to plan their attack on the Demon Lords now ruling over the Digital World. Winona set up her laptop; now it had on a chart-like screen displaying all the Digidestine's crests and pictures in a single line at the bottom of the screen. Above their pictures was a massive circle with ten slots open.

"And this is supposed to be…" started Javi.

"A way for us to keep track of who's helped who Digivolved their partner to the final level. I'll explain," said Winona, clicking on Kayla's picture on the laptop.

"During our battle with VenomMyotismon, we learned that Kayla had the power to unlock a person's heart or more specifically, their crests true power," explained Winona, placing Kayla's picture on the upper most section of the circle.

"We soon learned that Kayla could unlock Cody's heart" added Viximon as Winona clicked on Cody's picture to move it to a slot adjacent to Kayla's picture that went clockwise on the circle.

"So does that mean Kayla can unlock others hearts as well?" asked Brandi.

"That's the thing, we don't know, the circle was just a theory that I came up with and Winona set up," said Albert.

"Kayla might be able to unlock all our hearts but for all we know, Cody maybe able to unlock another Digidestine's heart and so on," continued Wanyamon.

"I would think that we each could only unlock one fellow Digidestined's heart. The prophecy would have been so specific on Kayla's part if any of us could have done for Cody," Andrew mused.

"He has a point," said Nyaromon.

"So that would mean that Kayla is done but one of us has to unlock her crest's true power and Cody still has to unlock one of our crests before he can call it quits," said Ann.

"How did you know how to unlock Cody's crest power Kayla?" asked Koromon.

"I don't really know. I didn't really believe Albert's idea at first but then I closed my eyes and could feel that connection that the two of us had. Then suddenly I felt something guide me and after that. It's all a blur."

"It's something for us to work with," put in Hopmon.

"The connection might not be so easy the next time. Cody and Kayla are brother and sister so that bond was already existent. The rest of us don't share a common bond so this may be difficult," Michelle pointed out to the group.

"Well then, we'll just have to make those connections. You all are already close friends by now," added Tsunomon.

"We'll just have to let that bond grow," smiled Brandi.

"It's great that we've figured this part out and all but what about the Demon Lords, we still need a plan to get rid of them before the Digital World becomes even more warped," TJ pointed out before they could get into too much discussion.

"Those guys aren't push over's you know," added DemiVeemon.

"If we attack them one by one in their own region, we could stand a chance than taking them on all together," Cody put in.

"That's a plan, which region should we go to first?" said Gigimon with a tone of excitement.

"Let's try the ocean region first," suggested Javi.

"Why?" asked the group in unison.

"No reason, just sounds like fun."

"Makes you wonder if he ever thinks before he says anything," sighed Kokomon. Kayla let out a small chuckle.

"Looks like we're back to the same old routine, who goes and who stays here to watch the laptop?" asked Winona.

"I think me, TJ, Albert, Andrew, Michelle, and Ann should go," said Cody.

"That works. It'll give the rest of us time to see if we can find any connections with the crests. We'll keep you posted," said Winona as she set up the laptop.

"Can't I come Cody?" asked Kayla.

"Not this time. Just stay with these guys till we get back ok?"

"Ok…" frowned Kayla.

"Gonna have to send you guys to that island Leomon and Wizardmon have found, it's the only place with a safe Digiport gate," Winona informed the group.

Once the screen was finally set up, the group traveling to the Digital World got ready and held up their Digivices to the screen. "Digiport open!" said Cody and the team was sucked through the screen.

The team soon found themselves in a new region covered with trees and several small cabins. Each cabin was made out of various logs set on top of each other. A small pond offered water while the dark sky above showed how much the Demon Lords had had an impact on the Digital World.

"Ah, children, so you've come to investigate the first Demon Lord Domain," said Wizardmon as he appeared from one of the cabins holding a book.

"Domain?" questioned Michelle.

"It's what the Demon Lords are calling their islands that they rule over," said Leomon as he approached the group for the surrounding forested area.

"Ok then… know how to get to the Ocean Domain?" asked Javi.

"Locomon could take you. The only way to travel now is by train or to fly," said Wizardmon, leading the group through the forest. Wizardmon lead the team to a train station building on the edge of the island. The building resembled the exact same station in Toy Town but was made completely out of logs and wood. A dark abyss was all that could be seen over the edge of this floating, warped island.

"This is Serenity Station, we named this place the Serenity Domain since it's the only island not being terrorized by those Demon Lords." The team entered the train station to see Locomon taking his usual nap. He only had two train cars attached behind him.

"Come on buddy, wake up," said Cody, knocking on Locomon's side.

"What? Who woke me up?" said Locomon groggily.

"We need you to take the Digidestined to the Ocean Station," said Leomon.

"Oh, no problem. Climb aboard kids," said Locomon. The team climbed into one of Locomon's cars and was quickly taken to the Ocean Domain by the speeding Digimon.

Once at the island, the group exited the train car and station to find the whole region one big beach. An ocean lay before them, its waves crashing onto the sand. The gentle sea breeze brought the scent of salt to the group. Ann turned to see that the train station looked to be made out of sea shells and the words OCEAN STATION were written in the middle of the building.

"Ok, how is all this water just floating above an abyss below us?" asked TJ.

"The sand must make up the outer portion of the domain, keeping the water in like a bowl does for liquids," explained Albert.

"So where is the Demon Lord for this region hiding?" asked Cody.

"Who knows, the ocean is a vast place," said Gaomon.

"They could be anywhere," added Hawkmon.

"Getting a message," said Michelle, pulling out her D-Dex; it was giving off a faint beeping noise. "Oh it's from Winona; she says that traveling here has opened up the map for this section. She also says the whole outer edge is nothing but sand and that there is an island in the center of the ocean worth checking out. That's about it."

"And how are we gonna cross over to the island without a boat?" asked Veemon.

"I picked you guys for a reason to come to this region," smiled Cody.

"Why?" asked Guilmon.

"I get it," said Albert with a laugh as he pulled out his Digivice, the others slowly catching on.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

As the team completed their transformations, their partners climbed onto each of them for a safe passage to the island in the middle of the ocean. Michelle and Gabumon climbed onto MachGaogamon seeing as how Gabumon could not fly in any of his forms. The group proceeded to head into the ocean to explore this island Winona had told them about.

"_Ah, so the Digidestined have come to pay me a visit in my humble abode. Well I can't disappoint them. I think I'll send my troops to entertain them when they arrive."_


	61. Ch 61 The Toxic Lagoon

_**Ch. 61 The Toxic Lagoon**_

As the team flew to the island, they discovered that the once-blue ocean waters below were now beginning to turn into a dark shade of green. The dark waters below seemed more uninviting than anything. The sky above was turning from a deep blue to a deep grey.

"I think we're getting close to the island," said Cody from MetalGreymon's back.

"You think?" sighed TJ.

The team soon saw a small island in the distance, appearing low close to the dark waters. The island was circular in shape and a small patch of water could be seen in the center of the island, surrounded by a jungle. The Digimon set their human partners down on the edge of the beach area on the islands outermost section.

"Yuk, look at that water," said Michelle, pointing at the ocean water as it rose and retreated into the ocean.

"It looks like toxic sludge," added Gabumon.

"Probably why they call it Toxic Lagoon," said Albert, pointing to a seaweed-covered sign on the edge of the beach.

"That's convenient," WarGrowlmon said lightly.

"We have company," growled MachGaogamon as he turned to the ocean waters behind him. Several Digimon that resembled fish were rising up out of the water. They had webbed feet and claws, what looked like scuba gear on their backs, sharp looking teeth, and were covered with blue and white scales.

"Divermon, Sea Animal Type Digimon at the ultimate level. The gear on their backs helps them breath in any type of condition and let them use their Striking fish attack," read Ann off her D-Dex.

"Intruders on Lord Leviamon's island," hissed one of the Divermon.

"We must destroy them," added another one of the Digimon.

"Umm… Gabumon…." started Michelle.

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

"Wolf Claw!" said WereGarurumon, striking one of the Divermon with his fist. The Divermon was sent flying into the ocean waters but soon rose up again, looking rather angry.

"Howling Cannon!" cried MachGaogamon, sending a flurry of rings toward the Digimon. Good portions of the Divermon were sent back into the sea, only to return to the beach shore again.

"Let me try, Atomic Blaster!" said WarGrowlmon frying the Divermon with his twin laser beams. A few Divermon were destroyed into smaller bits of data that flew up into the sky.

"Mmm… fried fish… yum," said WarGrowlmon as he sniffed the air.

"Striking Fish!" said several Divermon altogether. The air tanks on their backs shot straight into the air and then headed back down toward the ground, aimed for the Digidestined.

"Wing Blade!" said Garudamon, sending her flaming attacking toward the incoming missiles. The Divermon's attack was canceled out by Garudamon's stronger attack power.

"Time to end this. V-Wing Blade!" cried AeroVeedramon, sending his attack toward the Divermon, which instantly destroyed many Divermon with one hit.

"Retreat, they're too powerful for us, retreat!" yelled the Divermon as they scurried back into the ocean waters.

"That was easy," smiled TJ.

"I'm hungry, anybody want fish?" asked WarGrowlmon.

"When we get back home buddy," laughed Andrew.

"Guys, where's Cody?" asked Ann, looking around the area.

"He was right behind us," Michelle spoke up, confused.

"Looks like he headed straight into the jungle," said Albert, pointing at the sand, in which there were two sets of footprints heading straight for the jungle behind them. The team's Digimon reverted back to their rookie levels.

"Agumon must have De-Digivolved then headed straight for the jungle with Cody. Wonder why he didn't wait for us," thought Gaomon.

"Let's just follow them till we find out. They couldn't have gotten too far," Veemon reasoned. The team began to follow the foot prints into the jungle, hoping to find Cody and Agumon somewhere inside the mess of trees and vines.

--

"Think we should have waited for the others?" asked Agumon, following Cody through the jungle. The whole area was a mess of trees and vines covering every visible inch of forest. The humidity rose the deeper the two entered the jungle.

"I don't want to put them in danger. You're the only one with the power to go mega and crush this domain's Demon Lord," Cody replied, wiping the sweat off his brow.

"Ok then. I'm right behind you buddy."

Cody let out a small smirk as he and Agumon continued through the jungle thicket. They pushed forward despite the humid air and difficult terrain. After much time traversing the jungle path, they found the patch of water on the island that they had spotted from the air. The water in the pool looked just as bad as the ocean water. The muddy water made it difficult to see to the bottom of the pool. A set of stones stood on the other side of the pool, Leviamon perched on one, watching as Cody and Agumon arrived.

"So you came without your friends huh?" hissed the Demon Lord.

"Yeah, what of it?" barked Cody.

"Oh nothing, nothing. Are you afraid that they are envious of your partner's ability to go mega? That you are always the first to move to the next level? Don't think that that thought has never crossed their minds," laughed Leviamon.

"Nope, my friends aren't like that," said Cody.

"My dear boy, envy lives in everybody's hearts. Though they try and hide it, I can see that feeling in each and every single person," snarled Leviamon.

"Oh really?" growled Agumon.

"Yes really. Take TJ for example, he wanted to be the leader of the Digidestined. You won't believe how many times he's wanted to take control of everything. However, there is this bond between him and you that prevents this envy from growing. It sickens me how you two call each other brothers when you are not related in any fashion."

"That's cause we're bros. We would never do anything to ever betray that bond."

"But what if he stabs you in the back? It would take only one swift move to get rid of you and he can lead the other Digidestined," continued Leviamon. "Or how about Albert, my how he wishes to be just like you. To be brave and fearless or to live the life you have. Don't you know how envious he is that you get to hang out with your friends all the time while he has to study all the time?"

"And?" asked Cody.

"And don't you see how your glory affects the others?" asked Leviamon, growing rather angry.

"Don't really see any reason for them to hate me. We all may be stronger than others in some ways but in the end, we all can pull those strengths together to make one invincible team. It really doesn't matter what our weaknesses are cause everybody here makes up for it."

"You annoying brat. Why don't you grow angry with your friends? They all despise you in some way or another," snarled Leviamon.

"What part of 'it doesn't matter, we're all friends' don't you get?" shouted Agumon.

"Look, we're all friends in the end. It doesn't get any simpler than that. Agumon, get rid of this guy."

"Right," said Agumon with a smile.

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon roared, summoning a giant orange orb. He threw the orb toward Leviamon, who quickly dived into the water, avoiding the attack. Leviamon poked his eyes out from beneath the water's surface.

"You're little attack can't reach me in here. Water cancels fire you know."

"Gotta get him out of the water," thought Cody.

"Cauda!" echoed Leviamon's voice, followed by several pillars of water shooting off from the pool of muddy water. WarGreymon dodged each pillar of water as they sprung up.

Cody avoided a pillar that sprung up by his side, only to stumble about the side of the pool and fall into the water. He kept himself afloat on the surface with ease by treading the water.

"You ok Cody?" asked WarGreymon.

"Yeah, it's just wa…." started Cody, before he was pulled underneath the water. Something had grabbed his leg and was dragging him deep beneath the water. The water pillars started to subside.

"Cody! Cody!" yelled WarGreymon, searching the pool for his partner.

All Cody could feel was his breath escaping him as he was pulled further and further down into the dark pool.


	62. Ch 62 Trust Me

_**Ch. 62 Trust Me**_

TJ and his group sped through the jungle, trying to find where Cody and Agumon had left to. They continued their pursuit through the various trees and plants that blocked their path. Hawkmon flew overhead, trying to catch a view from the air.

"See anything yet Hawkmon?" asked Ann.

"Nothing yet."

"Still wonder why Cody ran off without telling us," said Michelle.

"It's not like Cody wanted to face Leviamon alone," Gabumon added.

"Actually, that sounds a lot like Cody," mumbled TJ.

"There's a pool up ahead," Hawkmon reported to the group.

"You guys hear that?" asked Gaomon, stopping. The group stopped to hear the sound of water splashing, along with several voices yelling.

"Sounds like WarGreymon," said Veemon.

"That's cause it is!" said TJ, dashing through the remaining jungle and reaching Leviamon's lair. The group finally caught up to see WarGreymon circling over head, calling out his partner's name.

"Cody! Cody!"

"What happened WarGreymon?" yelled Andrew.

"Leviamon knocked Cody into the water and he hasn't come back up!"

"And WarGreymon, being a fire type Digimon, can't go in the water without taking a serious drawback in his fighting skills," Albert added.

"I see you discovered my plan," laughed Leviamon, rising out of the water.

"Where's Cody?" growled WarGreymon.

"He's a bit tied up at the moment below. Why don't you go down and get him or are you afraid of the water?"

"I'm going in after him," said TJ, about to dive into the water.

"Wait, that's what he wants us to do. We're at a big disadvantage down there," said Andrew, grabbing TJ by his collar.

"You'll be nothing but bait to him," Ann said as she grabbed TJ's arm before he could dive in.

"I gotta help him. He's my bro," said TJ, struggling to break their grip.

"Let him go in. While TJ helps Cody, we'll keep Leviamon busy up here," smiled Albert.

"Thanks man," said TJ, and his two restrainers let go.

"Leave it to us", said Veemon.

"We'll make that Demon Lord into a pair of boots," added Guilmon.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolved to… WereGarurumon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

"Cauda!" shouted Leviamon creating more large pillars of water, and smashed his large snout into the ground.

TJ dived into the murky water of the pool. He swam as far down as he could, trying to find Cody. The bottom of the pool was filled with nothing but seaweed. The seaweed moved back and forth with each kick TJ made. TJ was beginning to run out of air, and he swam as fast as he could back to the surface. TJ sprang up from beneath the water to see the Digimon fighting with Leviamon.

"Anything yet?" asked Ann from the shore line.

"Nothing."

"Try again!" yelled Michelle.

TJ took another breath of air and dived back down into the water. He scanned the floor of the pool till something caught his eye. Something was moving and struggling to break free from the seaweed. As TJ got closer, he found Cody trying to pull off the seaweed that had wrapped around his feet. TJ swam to Cody's side and tried to pull off the seaweed. TJ's air supply was shortening. He could only imagine how much air Cody had left.

Cody tried to motion for TJ to head back up and forget about him but TJ wouldn't budge. He wasn't planning on leaving his friend down in the water to drown. TJ pulled and pulled, trying to get rid of the seaweed that held Cody down. Cody was slowly losing consciousness as his air was running out. TJ gave one last tug with every ounce of strength in his body. The last pull finally got Cody free. TJ grabbed Cody and pulled him up to the surface; once they were above water, TJ began to swim toward the shore line with Cody in his grasp. Leviamon took notice of this and charged for him, opening his jaws wide.

"Oh no you don't, Winning Knuckle!" said MachGaogamon, ramming his fist into Leviamon's back. The impact sent Leviamon hurling into the water.

"You guys ok?" asked Albert, helping drag Cody's body onto the land.

"Yeah… we're… fine…" gasped TJ.

Cody began to stir. He sat up and coughed up some water before speaking. "What… happened?"

"TJ pulled you up from the bottom of Leviamon's little pool there," said Ann.

"Thanks man… I owe you one," coughed Cody.

"No problem… you're my bro… remember? Have to… help you… whenever… you're in danger," said TJ, still gasping for air.

"Thanks, knew I could always trust you to have my back," smiled Cody, still coughing a little.

"Kinda my crest," laughed TJ, pulling out his tag and crest.

Cody's Digivice began to glow bright red. The light seemed to grow in size, stopping the battle between the Digidestined's partners and the Demon Lord Leviamon.

"This looks familiar," said Michelle.

"Only the color is red instead of pink," smiled Ann.

"Guess Cody's and TJ's crests are the next ones connected," added Andrew.

"You know what to do, Cody," said Albert.

"Right, Unlock Trust!" said Cody, aiming his Digivice at TJ. The red light burst from Cody's Digivice into TJ's crest causing a teal aura to appear around his body. A new form of power was racing through TJ's body. AeroVeedramon reverted back to his Veemon form, landing next to TJ.

"Ready buddy?" asked TJ.

"Let's do this TJ."

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

UlforceVeedramon took on a knight-like form, his deep blue wings also acting as a cape. Pieces of chrome blue armor were scattered on parts of his body with a golden v shaped crest on his chest plate. His wrists held two gauntlet-like devices in a silver color.

"Cody! Cody!" said Ann in a panic, shaking Cody's body.

"He's fine, just exhausted is all," said Albert calming Ann down.

"I am the embodiment of the true power of Trust. I am a fighter for honor which you have none," said UlforceVeedramon as he pointed to Leviamon.

"Yeah, and you want to stop me huh? Well take this! Cauda!" cried Leviamon, starting his usual attack. Before his attack could really begin, UlforceVeedramon knocked Leviamon out of the water with one single punch.

"Now for you to leave this world and never harm its inhabitants again, Ulforce Saber!" said UlforceVeedramon, raising his right gauntlet into the air. A saber-like blade appeared in a glowing teal.

"Cau…" started Leviamon, but was stopped as UlforceVeedramon rammed his blade into Leviamon's snout. The Dark Digimon struggled to break free.

"Now to end this, Ray of Victory-" shouted UlforceVeedramon as the v mark on his chest plate began to glow in a golden color. A v shaped mark shot off a golden beam, colliding perfectly with Leviamon, who burst into tiny bits of data that scattered into the sky above.

"That did it," said UlforceVeedramon as he reverted to his DemiVeemon form. TJ walked over and picked up his partner.

"That ended that," smiled TJ.

"Yep, when can I do that again?" asked Veemon with excitement.

Before TJ could respond, the whole area began to shake and the ground began to crack below.

"The Ocean Domain is returning to its original form before it was distorted," said Albert.

"We need to get off the Domain quick," said Andrew.

"Come on guys, we'll get you all off," said MachGaogamon, lowering his arms for Albert to climb on. TJ helped get Cody onto WarGreymon's arms then climbed into MachGaogamon's other palm with DemiVeemon. Michelle and Gabumon caught a lift with Ann on Garudamon while Andrew rode on WarGrowlmon's back. The whole Domain began to crumble away into smaller bits of data as the team flew away with their partners.


	63. Ch 63 Twisted Forest

_I'd just like to say that I'm so sorry for the wait. This chapter has been done for like a month now but my so called editor didn't do it no matter how many times I told her to. Needless to say that she is no longer my editor. Hope you all can forgive me. Any who, let the story continue…_

_**Ch. 63 Twisted Forest**_

As the group flew over the Ocean Domain, they watch the whole region fade into bits of data. The domain would crack into pieces then those pieces would begin breaking into data that would fall into the dark abyss below.

"I wonder where all that data is doing?" asked Michelle.

"Probably going to reconfigure itself to reform all the oceans of the Digital World." guessed Andrew.

"How long you think it's gonna take?" questioned Ann.

"Minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, who knows? The Demon Lords have done a lot of damage to this world" said Albert.

"Let's head home guys, these two looked beat" said Michelle looking over to TJ and Cody who were now asleep, looking completely exhausted.

The group nodded then headed back to the Serenity Domain to return home. The team returned back to the real world with Cody, leaning on Albert and TJ leaning on Andrew. The remaining Digidestined looked over the group with concern.

"What happened to you guys?" asked Brandi rather worried.

"Are you alright big bro?" asked Kayla hugging her brother. Cody just gave her a weak smile to show that he was alright.

"You guys look beat" added Javi.

"No kidding" put in Winona.

"We'll talk about what happened later, right now these guys need to get some rest" said Albert. The group just nodded and headed back home, Cody being supported by Albert and Michelle, and TJ being helped by Javi and Andrew.

--

The group met at the lake the following day with TJ and Cody looking a bit better than the previous day. Winona sat in front of her laptop adding TJ to the circle of Digidestined who have had their crest powers unlocked. After placing TJ's picture following Cody's picture, she set the laptop screen back to the Serenity Domain.

"Where to next and who's going this time?" asked Winona.

"Us two for sure" said Cody pointing to himself and TJ.

"But you guys are still beat from yesterday" pointed out Brandi.

"Yeah but our partners are the only ones who can go mega. Pretty sure the next Demon Lord is going to be even harder to defeat" said TJ.

"If you two are gonna go in your current stat then me and Michelle are coming to in case anything should happen" put in Albert.

"Us to" said Winona and Andrew together.

"The rest of us will stay there" sighed Javi.

"I want to go." said Kayla.

"You need to stay here Kayla." said Cody sternly.

"Let her come this time. She might be a big help" added Andrew.

"Ok but if things get to dangerous, you're gonna be the first one sent back" sighed Cody. Kayla just smiled as pulled out her Digivice, the others doing the same.

"Let's go guys, Digiport open" said Michelle. The team was sucked through the screen in the usual fashion and placed back in the Serenity Domain.

"Welcome back kids" greeted Wizardmon as he welcomed the Digidestined back.

"Where would you like to go next?"

"Let's try the Forest Domain" suggested Winona.

"Oh no, every time you pick a location, it ends up totally evil looking" said TJ with a laugh.

"It's a forest, how bad can it be?" said Andrew.

The group just shrugged and settled on the Forest Domain for their next trip. The team boarded Locomon in the usual manner and headed for one of the many floating islands created by the Demon Lords. Upon reaching the Forest Domain, they found the whole area covered by trees and forests. The station they exited on was made completely out of logs with the word Forest Station written on the outside. The group exited the station and observed the massive forest before them.

"This place doesn't look so bad" said Albert observing the forest. The trees looked just like anything else they would find in the digital world.

"That's how the Ocean Domain looked at first" said Gaomon.

"This place can be just as dangerous" added Renamon.

"Let's explore for a bit then" said Cody leading the group into the forest. The team followed their leader and entered the forest deeper and deeper. The more they treaded into this region, the more the trees would lose their color and become more twisted in appearance.

"The trees look almost like their alive" said Kayla walking closer to her brother.

"That's impossible" assured Agumon.

"Is it now?" laughed an ominous voice.

The trees began to reshape themselves forming a small Digimon of sorts. They were made form solid wood in a brown color and had blue eyes. They resembled small trees minus the leaves and walked by using their roots.

"Woodmon, champion level forest Digimon, they use their Branch Drill attack to drain their enemies energy" said Michelle reading the data off her D-Dex.

"That's not all" echoed the voice. A large Digimon appeared behind the army of Woodmon. The Digimon was made completely out of grey colored bark while it stood on it's roots with multiple arms hanging from its side. It had yellow glowing eyes and held a cane made out of brown wood. It had leaves in a pale green with what looked like small red orbs in the green sea of leaves.

"Cherrymon, ultimate level forest type Digimon, he has a Cherry Blast attack that pummels his enemies" said Winona reading the data on her D-Dex.

"Attack these Digidestined brats my loyal servants. Oh, and should you survive Digidestined, I'll be waiting from you in the center of my dark forest." laughed the evil voice.

"Guys…" started Cody.

_Gabumon Digivolved to… Garurumon, Garurumon Digivolve to… Were Garurumon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon, Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

"You guys handle these guys, we'll get rid of the Demon Lord" said Cody dashing into the Forest with TJ and their partners.

"Guys wait!" yelled Michelle but it was too late, the pair had already entered the forest.

"Probably a trap like with Leviamon" said Albert.

"Hope they'll be ok" said Kayla.

"Branch Drill" said a group of Woodmon attacking the group at once.

"Howling Cannon" said MachGaogamon sending a series of blue rings into the Woodmon. The attack completely destroyed the attacking Digimon.

"Atomic Blaster" said WarGrowlmon burning several more Woodmon with his attack to a crisp.

"Wolf Claw" said WereGarurumon striking down several Woodmon with his attack.

"Talisman of Light" added Taomon to the flurry of attacks. The Woodmon stood no chance against these powerful attacks. Most, if not all the evil Digimon were being destroyed.

"Let's go help my brother" said Kayla to Antylamon.

"Ok, let's hurry then" said Antylamon allowing Kayla to climb on her back. the pair entered the forest quickly in pursuit of Cody and TJ.

"Don't go off on your own Kayla!" yelled Albert.

"She'll be fine with Antylamon, we have our own problem to worry about" pointed Winona. Cherrymon now looked enraged by the battle before him.

"I'll go help her" said Michelle.

"And I'll help you" added Andrew.

"We can take out wood boy over there" said Winona. The group nodded while Andrew and Michelle followed Kayla into the forest with their partners. Albert and Winona were now left to deal with Cherrymon and the remaining Woodmon.


	64. Ch 64 Forest Fire

_**Ch. 64 Forest Fire**_

"We gotta hurry Antylamon, my brother might need my help" said Kayla riding on Antylamon's back.

"I'm going as fast as I can. It's like the Demon Lord doesn't want anybody getting to him" said Antylamon destroying several branches blocking her path with her Bunny Blades attack.

"That's probably what he wants, just a fight with Cody and TJ" said Andrew. Him and Michelle had finally caught up with Kayla while riding with WarGrowlmon.

"Oh guys, I'm sorry to take off but… I…" stuttered Kayla.

"Don't worry about it Kayla, we'd have done the same thing. Now let's go help your brother" said Michelle with a smile. Kayla just smiled as the group trudged deeper into the forest.

--

The team of Cody and TJ with their partners made their way to the center of the forest. The deeper they entered, the more the trees grew paler in color with the branches beginning losing their leaves. Cody and TJ finally reached a large clearing in the forest with a hooded figure standing in the center of the forest.

"Welcome Digidestined" said the figure. The figure raveled itself to be Daemon as it slowly turned and faced the duo.

"My how rash you two were to have entered my inner sanctuary. Your friends must feel so much anger for you two to have left them alone to face my little army." laughed Daemon.

"They can handle those guys" said Cody confidently.

"In fact, wouldn't surprise me to find them catching up to us any second now" smirked TJ.

"You two have always been the leaders. Bet you never thought that the other Digidestined must have felt some malice against you two for always calling the shots" laughed Daemon.

"And you point is?" asked TJ.

"They hate you, their anger grows more and more" said Daemon.

"Like I told your friend Leviamon, it doesn't matter, in the end we're all friends. We may be a bit too fast in getting into a fight but as long as we have friends like them, they'll always bail us out and we'll all be laughing by the end of the day" said Cody.

"You insolent brats. Why can't I feed the anger inside all of you? Why can't I add to the fires of wrath?" barked Daemon

"Cause we're all friends" said TJ sternly.

"So be it, you will all be destroyed in my forest. Evil Inferno" said Daemon holding out his hands. A streak of black flames shot toward TJ and Cody.

"This is where we come in. Ray of Victory" said UlforceVeedramon sending a beam of glowing energy from the v crest on his armor. The attacks collided with one another sending a few small embers onto the ground.

"Mega Claw" said WarGreymon entering his spinning orange cyclone. The cyclone moved toward Daemon who easily evaded the attack. WarGreymon continued with his assault but Daemon dodged each attack with ease. WarGreymon discontinued his attack after a few more failed attempts.

"What's wrong, can't hit an easy target" laughed Daemon.

"Stay cool WarGreymon, he wants to get you so mad that you can't focus and attack him" said Cody analyzing the battle.

"Let me give this a try, Ulforce Saber" said UlforceVeedramon attacking with his glowing teal energy sword. Daemon moved back and forth dodging each sword swing.

"Evil Inferno" said Daemon countering UlforceVeedramon's attack. UlforceVeedramon used his sword to hold back the attack sending the black flames onto the surrounding trees. The surrounding trees began to catch on fire one by one.

"Ah, the fires of wrath" said Daemon admiring the growing flames. The fires spread from tree to tree. It wasn't long until the group was trapped in a circle of flames.

"No backing out now" said TJ.

"Never intended to" said Cody with confidence.

"We'll fight by your sides" said UlforceVeedramon.

"We ain't backing down" added WarGreymon.

"_Fools are falling right into my trap_" thought Daemon "Then let's continue. Evil Inferno" continued the Demon Lord sending a stream of flames. Toward the team, TJ and Cody ready to continue with the battle.

--

"You guys smell that?" asked WarGrowlmon.

The group of Michelle, Andrew, and Kayla were walking through the forest on foot since the braches slowed their progress. The team stopped and sniffed the forest air.

"Smells like smoke" said Michelle after taking in a few wafts of the air.

"You think my brother is alright?" asked Kayla.

"To be honest Kayla, I wouldn't be surprised if he was in the center of all this" frowned Andrew.

"Andrew, don't be so blunt. Show some compassion" whispered Michelle.

"Showing compassion means showing honesty. You won't hide the truth from the ones you love if you really thought about the connection between the two" explained Andrew.

"Never thought about it like that" said Michelle.

"Either way, I'm sure Cody and TJ are handling the Demon Lord here with ease" added WereGarurumon with confidence.

"Yeah, your brother is no push over Kayla" put in Antylamon.

"I know but I still want to find him" said Kayla starting to show signs of worry.

"Don't worry, he might be in the middle of all this but I'm sure he has it under control" smiled Michelle. The group nodded and continued to head for the center of the forest and a quickened speed.

--

"Cherry Blast" said Cherrymon sending a flurry of small red orbs raining onto Taomon and MachGaogamon.

"Man this guy never lets up does he?" said Albert watching the fight from afar with Winona.

"Doesn't look that way" said Winona.

"I am the leaded of Lord Daemon's army and I must avenge my fallen brethren." said Cherrymon sending another wave of his Cherry Blast attack.

"This guy is getting on my nerves" growled MachGaogamon.

"He never gives us the chance to attack" examined Taomon.

"Foolish Digidestined, you won't win, the Demon Lords have already done so much to our world. Their new order has been established. The effects on our world cannot be reversed without all the evil being purged from the Digital World" laughed Cherrymon.

"Is that all we have to do?" smiled Winona.

"That's gonna be easy" smirked Albert "Show him what we mean guys"

"Right Talisman of Light" said Taomon drawing her sacred symbol. She launched her attack causing it to collide with Cherrymon directly on his chest.

"I'll finish this one off, Winning Knuckle" said MachGaogamon ramming his fist onto the exact spot that Taomon had aimed her attack. MachGaogamon collected the power of Taomon's attack and sent his fist straight through Cherrymon. Cherrymon just froze for a second has he began to fade away into bits of data.

"There is still so much done to our world… You will not reverse what damage has been caused thus far… The Digital World as you have come to know it… is… gone forever" said Cherrymon before finally fading away into nothing but data.

"That ends that" said Winona.

"Guys, there's smoke coming from the center of the forest" observed Taomon looking into the distance.

"Guess Cody and TJ found the Demon Lord already" said Albert.

"Then let's go help them out" added MachGaogamon. The group gave a quick nod and headed for the center of the forest.


	65. Ch 65 Chill Out

_**Ch. 65 Chill Out**_

Kayla, Michelle, and Andrew were continuing to make their way deeper into the forest with their partners close by. A dense smoke was beginning to fill the air as they got closer and closer to the forest's center. The air was growing hotter and hotter causing the team to sweat, the smoke making visibility in the forest more and more difficult.

"I guess the battle between the guys and the Demon Lord here is getting hotter" smiled Andrew.

"Now's not the time to make jokes like Javi" said Michelle.

"Cody…" said Kayla to herself.

"Let's hurry then, Atomic Blaster" said WarGrowlmon taking aim with his cannons. The twin orange beams cut straight through the trees creating a path for the team to get through easily.

"Why didn't you do that before?" asked Antylamon.

"I didn't want to start a fire but now that I know one must have been started to start all this heat, I guess it's alright to attack." answered WarGrowlmon.

"Guess he has a point, Wolf Claw" said Were Garurumon running ahead and cutting through the rest of the trees.

The group made their way through the forest as quickly as they could till they found a wall of black flames emerging from the ground. The group could see the images of Cody and TJ along with WarGreymon and UlforceVeedramon engaged in battle with Daemon.

"So he started the fires" said Andrew.

"So you're friends have arrived" said Daemon seeing the newly arrived Digidestined through the flames.

"You guys made it" yelled TJ looking through the fires that danced behind him. TJ let out a few small coughs as the smoke began to grow thicker overhead.

"Wouldn't miss this" replied Michelle.

"They won't be helping you anytime soon. My flames can't be put out through normal means. Just give it a try" beckoned Daemon.

"We'll see about that. Let him have it guys" said Kayla.

"Bunny Blades!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Wolf Claw!"

The three attacks collided with the growing flames only to be absorbed into the fire. The stream of smoke continued to grow and grow as the fires began to eat away at the forest. The three Digimon stared is dismay hoping for a break in the flames that would never appear.

"My flames can absorb attacks and feed on their energy making them even stronger." said Daemon.

"We have to help get the guys out of there. The smoke and fire is only eating up all the oxygen more and more. If we don't do anything soon, they'll suffocate." examined Andrew.

"Cody!" yelled Kayla.

"I'm right here sis, don't worry I'm fine" replied Cody then let out a few small coughs. Cody knew that the more the battle dragged on, the more difficult it would be for them to remain in the fight.

"We need to end this already. Terra Force" said WarGreymon summoning a large orange colored orb above him. He threw the orb toward Daemon who only knocked the orb into the growing fires with a single wave of his hand.

"Bet you can't do that with my attack, Ulforce Saber" said UlforceVeedramon continuing his attacks with his glowing saber.

"Guys!" yelled Albert as he and Winona finally caught up with the other Digidestined.

"You guys caught up" said Andrew.

"Yeah, Taomon take care of the flames" said Winona.

"Wait! If you attack the flames they'll only grow stronger" quickly stated Andrew before Taomon could summon her attack.

"My brother and TJ are in there. If the flames get any bigger then the smoke will suffocate them" put in Kayla with concern.

"Great, any plans to get through them?" asked Albert.

"We got this guys… don't worry" yelled Cody coughing mid sentence.

"Yeah… this guy is… nothing" said TJ as his coughing grew worth. The pairs smoke inhalation was growing more and more.

"Man this guy is smart, all he has to do is suffocate TJ and Cody leaving their partners defenseless." observed Winona.

"Ah, so you see through my plan. No point prolonging this anymore. Time to die kiddies, Evil Inferno" laughed Daemon sending his black flames into the flames encircling the forest clearing. The black flames grew higher into the air as the smoke began to fill the air. TJ and Cody began to cough more and more till they were on the ground trying to find any form of fresh air.

"It's getting hotter and hotter in here, the guys can't take it anymore" said WarGreymon.

"Then give up and submit already. I'll make your deaths relatively painless" laughed Daemon.

"We got to help them now." said Winona.

"I'm coming brother" said Kayla running toward the fire only to be grabbed by Albert and held back. Kayla struggled to break his grip.

"I know you want to help your brother but going through fire is gonna seriously hurt you" said Albert trying to hold his grip on Kayla.

"We want to help TJ and Cody to Kayla but we'd need a miracle right now." said Michelle.

"Things look bleak right now but, well find away Kayla. The fires may be impregnable but this isn't over yet" said Andrew. A grey aura began to from around his body as Andrew gripped his Digivice.

"Didn't know you cared that much Andrew" said Michelle.

"Honesty leads to compassion which is how I figured this out. Unlock Compassion!" yelled Andrew taking aim with his Digivice toward Michelle. A grey colored Beam struck Michelle's tag and crest causing an orange aura to form around her while WereGarurumon returned to his Gabumon form.

"I think it's time Michelle" said Gabumon.

"Right, let's get rid of this Demon Lord" smiled Michelle.

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… MetalGarurumon_

MetalGarurumon resembled a large wolf with a body made out of solid blue metal. He had a yellow underbody with a set of yellow wings on his back with a stream of energy burning from the back of each wing. His tail resembled a sharp blade of sorts along with what appeared to be a series of weapons on parts of his body.

"Interesting but you cannot extinguish my flames." laughed Daemon.

"Oh yeah, Ice Wolf Bite" said MetalGarurumon. Many compartments opened along his body revealing numerous sets of small missiles. Each missile shot off colliding with the flames turning them to solid ice. All the black flames soon turned to ice sculptures as each missile collided with the attack.

"Winning Knuckle" said MachGaogamon shattering the new wall of ice with one swift punch.

"You were saying" mocked Albert.

"Cody!" yelled Kayla as she ran to her brother's side. Cody managed to hold himself up with some help from Kayla and Michelle then gave a small smile to show that he was ok. Andrew helped TJ up off the ground

"But how… my flames… they cannot be extinguished" said Daemon spell bound.

"Flames created with anger are easy to put out with a cool heart" stated Winona.

"I'll still get rid of you brats. Evil inferno" said Daemon starting his attack.

"Metal Claw" said WarGreymon striking Daemon and sending him up into the air.

"Ulforce Saber" yelled UlforceVeedramon attacking Daemon in the air with his saber and sending the Demon Lord crashing into the ground.

"I think it's time you chilled out for a second, Metal Wolf Claw" bellowed MetalGarurumon sending a beam of glowing light blue colored energy from his mouth. The energy beam collided with Daemon causing him to turn into a solid statue of ice.

"Ice Wolf Bite" continued MetalGarurumon as he launched his missile barrage toward Daemon. The tiny missiles collided with the frozen Demon Lord shattering his form. The shards of ice began to fade into small pieces of data taking Daemon with them. All the ice faded away leaving nothing left of the formed Forest Domain ruler.

"We did it" cheered Michelle. She was soon interrupted with the whole Forest Domain beginning to rumble.

"We sure did. Let's get off this island before it takes us with it" said Albert. WarGreymon picked up Cody while UlforceVeedramon took TJ as they flew up into the sky. Taomon, Winona, Antylamon, and Kayla climbed into MachGaogamon's hand along with Albert. Andrew rode on WarGrowlmon's back while Michelle got to ride on her newly Digivolved Digimon.

"Let's head on home guys" said Andrew leading the team away from the fading floating island. The Forest Domain faded into bits of data as the Digidestined began to head back to the Serenity Domain and their home world.


	66. Ch 66 The Big City

_**Ch. 66 The Big City**_

Saturday had come bringing a peaceful day with plenty of sunshine. The deep blue sky above complimented the spring atmosphere with the birds chirping and flowers in full bloom. Michelle and Kayla were making their way down one of the sidewalks in route to Albert's house. Their two partners hiding in backpacks thrown over Michelle's and Kayla's shoulders.

"I love days like this" said Michelle feeling the warm sun.

"So do I. Can I come out now?" said Tsunomon

"Yeah, it's stuffy in here" added Kokomon.

"We can't let anybody see you" said Kayla.

"Besides, we're here already" said Michelle. The two Digidestined reached Albert's house. Michelle rang the doorbell. After no reply she tried ringing the bell again. Albert finally came to the door with Gaomon and allowed the two inside.

"Morning Albert!" exclaimed Michelle.

"Shhhh…" said Albert quieting Michelle. "You're gonna wake them up"

"Are my brother and TJ still sleeping?" asked Kayla.

"Yeah" whispered Albert.

They made their way to the living room and the pair couldn't help but smile at the sight inside. A few boxes of pizza and a few bottles of soda were on a nearby table. A nearby TV had a gaming consol hooked up but the TV was currently off and the controllers on the floor. TJ laid back on a recliner with a blanket coving his lower body. DemiVeemon slept on TJ's stomach curled up with a part of the blanket. Cody and Agumon were sleeping on the floor. The way the blanket was shared by the two showed signs of a fight before hand for the blanket. The two didn't seem as if they cared now who had the blanket as they lay totally knocked out.

"I see the sleep over was a success. The guys get rested up?" asked Michelle.

"Yeah it was fun and yeah they're getting the rest that they've needed. I wanted to give them the whole day to rest up. The past two Demon Lord fights have taken a lot out of them." said Albert trying to keep his voice low.

"Want us to stay and watch them? The others are gonna meet at the lake soon to head back to the Digital World." said Michelle.

"My dad is gone on another conference and won't be back till tomorrow so I guess we could trade spots. You two make sure they get some rest and the rest of us Digidestined will work on getting rid of another Demon Lord" said Albert.

"Sounds like a plan" smiled Kayla.

"Better hurry up and get over to the lake" added Tsunomon.

"Right, let's go buddy" said Albert heading for the door.

"Right behind you" replied Gaomon.

--

"So where are we headed this time?" asked Javi. The remaining Digidestined were currently sitting in one of Locomon's cars heading to another one of the domains.

"The City Domain" answered Renamon

"This one should give us a lot of cover to work with, come time to fight with the Demon Lord" added Winona.

"Think we'll be fine without the others? Their partners can go Mega and ours can't yet" said Brandi.

"More reason for one of you to reach that level next" smiled Salamon.

"We're pulling into the City Station kids" said Locomon.

Once Locomon had reached the City Station, the group disembarked the train and got a better look at their surrounding area. The station was made out of red brick and cement. The words CITY STATION was presented on a large golden plaque right below a clock on the station's front entrance.

"Whoa…" started Guilmon.

"Whoa is right" said Andrew taking a look at the Domain before them.

The entire domain was one huge city. Enormous skyscrapers towered high into the blue sky above. In between all the buildings were a series of streets and roads just like in a normal city. An eerie silence filled the air. Though they stood before a large city, there were no sounds of life emanating from the structures before them.

"This is so cool. It's just like being at home" smiled Ann.

"Yes but remember, unlike in your world, there is a dangerous enemy waiting for you somewhere in there" said Hawkmon pointing into the city.

"Think we should split up and look for the Demon Lord?" asked Monodramon.

"That sounds like a good plan. We can cover more ground that way" said Gaomon.

"Ok then how about me, Ann, and Javi go explore the city by taking the road on the right and Winona, Brandi, and Andrew can explore the road on the left" suggested Albert.

"Sounds good" said Brandi. "You're becoming more and more of a leader everyday Albert."

Albert just blushed a bit while the others smiled. Albert had been building more confidence in himself lately. The groups gave a quick nod to each other then split up on their decided paths.

_--_

_Unknown to the group, Beelzemon was waiting and watching them. He stood atop a high tower in the center of the city watching their progress through a close by TV monitor. _

"_So my guests have arrived. Time to show them how things roll in my city. Let's start this party. First I'll send one of my big party animals to play with one group and I think I'll go play with the other group. Heehee, this is gonna be fun"_

_Beelzemon chuckled a bit then made his way to the city below._

--

Albert's team began heading for the center of the city by following their chosen path. More and more of the skyscrapers began to display neon colored lights of various colors and in many various shapes. The sky above was turning from blue to black, the bright lights making visibility of stars near impossible.

"Let's see, if I was a Demon Lord, where would I hide?" thought Javi.

"In the heart of the domain, that's where all the other Demon Lords have been staying" said Albert.

"So if we keeping heading for the center of the city domain, we'll find the Demon Lord?" asked Monodramon.

"Yep" said Gaomon.

"Guys, you hear something?" said Ann stopping and looking behind the group.

"Sounds like it's getting closer" said Hawkmon flying overhead. The group paused then turned around to see an empty street.

Before the group could investigate the approaching sound, a loud shattering noise erupted before the group as a large Digimon appeared crashing through one of the buildings. The Digimon resembled the monster Frankenstein with light green skin, pieces of metal sticking out of its body, red hair, and carried a large metal tomahawk in his hands. The Digimon faced the group and let out aloud roar.

"Think we found the source of the sound" said Monodramon.

"Boltmon, he's a mega level Digimon who uses his tomahawk to perform his Tomahawk Crunch attack. Oh boy…" said Javi reading the data off his D-Dex.

"Any plans anyone?" asked Ann.

"Do you have to ask?" sighed Albert holding his Digivice.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

"Get him guys!" yelled Javi. The group's partners charged toward Boltmon who showed no signs of backing down from the upcoming fight.


	67. Ch 67 Rumble in the Streets

_**Ch. 67 Rumble in the Streets**_

"Winning Knuckle" said MachGaogamon swinging his metallic arm toward Boltmon. Boltmon held back the attack with relative ease using his tomahawk as a shield.

"Since you got him distracted, Desolation Claw" said Cyberdramon sending his furry of white energy blades toward Boltmon. Boltmon knocked MachGaogamon back then used his mighty weapon to break Cyberdramon's attack, using little effort.

"Leave this to me, Wing Blade!" cried Garudamon launching her usual flaming aura attack toward Boltmon. One swing of Boltmon's tomahawk sent the fiery attack into a nearby building destroying it into bits of metal.

"Man this guy's strong" said Javi.

"That weapon of his held back all three attacks" added Albert.

"Any new plans?" asked Ann.

"Must destroy…" spoke Boltmon raising his weapon slowly into the air "Tomahawk Crunch!"

With that, the Digimon rammed his mighty weapon into the ground causing the road below to rumble and crack. Boltmon then continued with his attack by swinging his weapon wildly at the Digimon team, destroying everything in his path.

"He's too powerful here, we need to get you kids away from his attacks" said MachGaogamon.

"All this rubble could hurt you three" said Garudamon.

"Destroy… Destroy…" moaned Boltmon, still attacking everything in sight with his tomahawk.

"Start running guys, we'll hold him back keeping you all a safe distance from the battle. Desolation Claw!" said Cyberdramon sending another stream of glowing white blades toward Boltmon. The blades did little to stop Boltmon's great attack.

"We got no other option guys, we'd better move." said Albert taking lead, Ann and Javi following right behind him. The group began to back move down the street to keep a good distance away from the chaos the battle was causing.

"Tomahawk Crunch…" groaned Boltmon ramming his weapon into the ground and sending stay pieces of concrete toward the team.

"Howling Cannon!" cried MachGaogamon destroying the stones with his attack.

"Destroy Digidestined… Tomahawk Crunch" said the evil Digimon again hitting the nearby buildings with his attack. The buildings began to collapse sending more clouds of dirt and debris onto the team.

"Wing Blade!" yelled Garudamon destroying the much larger pieces of metal and stone.

"Doesn't matter how far we run. He'll just catch up and destroy everything" thought Albert grimly.

"Man, this guy loves to destroy stuff. Boltmon needs a little peace and harmony in his life" said Javi.

"As long as we have faith in our partners, they can stop all this chaos" piped in Ann.

"She's right, as long as you guys believe in us; we can bring peace back to the Digital World. Desolation Claw!" yelled Cyberdramon continuing another barrage with his attack.

"Wait a second… if faith brings harmony then…" started Albert.

"That means…" started Ann holding her Digivice closely to her chest. A yellow aura began to form around her body. Ann then continued by aiming her Digivice toward Javi. Cyberdramon backed off with his attack then reverted back to his Monodramon form.

"Unlock Harmony!"yelled Ann. A yellow beam of light shot forth from Ann's Digivice and struck Javi directly on his tag and crest. A green colored aura surrounded Javi who began to feel a surge of energy rush through his body.

"You ready to try this out buddy?" asked Javi with a grin.

"I'm always ready. Let's do this" said Monodramon confidently.

--

While one of the Digidestined groups were spending time fighting against a Digimon, the other group was having a relatively quiet time heading for the cities center. Brandi, Winona, and Andrew along with their respective partners walked in the eerie silence of the city. The neon lights and street lamps gave the only source of light for the group.

"This place is getting creepier and creepier." said Brandi observing the nearby buildings and lights.

"It's just like our city back home" stated Winona.

"Yeah but your city has people other things making sound. This place is to quiet" said Salamon.

"And your world has great food" added Guilmon with a laugh.

"Wonder how the other team is doing?" questioned Andrew.

"They should be fine" spoke Renamon. The group continued their way through the silent city till they reached a large skyscraper colored a solid black. The windows appeared to have a black tint color applied to their surface reflecting the colored light the city could offer.

"This looks cheery" said Winona sarcastically.

"Looks like we found the center of the domain" added Renamon.

"Wonder where the others are? We made it to the center but what about them?" put in Brandi worriedly.

"We need to worry about ourselves, look over there guys" said Andrew pointing into the distance. A set of bright headlights was rapidly approaching the group. The sound of an engine roaring filled the silent streets. The approaching figure raced toward the group then went straight past them. They group could tell the vehicle was a solid black motorcycle with pieces of chrome metal making up the various engines of the bike.

"Welcome kiddies to my city" laughed Beelzemon riding his bike.

Beelzemon, as if defying the laws of physics, rode his bike up the side of the black building then leapt off speeding vehicle. The motorcycle just continued its path up the building till it reached the very peak of the skyscraper, and then crashed leaving a fire blazing in its wake.

"I lose more and more bikes that way. Anyway, welcome to Dark City. Looks like your other buddies are still playing with one of my friends. Man is he one party animal!" laughed the Demon Lord.

"What's wrong with you? You treat all of this like it's a game" barked Brandi.

"I just like to indulge myself in all of life's great pleasures. You only get to live once you know." said Beelzemon coolly.

"There a difference between enjoying what life has to offer and gorging yourself on it" snapped Winona.

"Looks whose talking. You love to seek knowledge from your books. He enjoys playing his little video games. The other girl right there loves jewelry. Heck, even Guilmon there likes to eat everything in sight. You all have something that you can't get your fill on so you gorge and gorge on it till you become a complete glutton" laughed Beelzemon as he pointed to each Digidestined.

"That's what you think. Unlike you, we limit ourselves and don't become pigs over what we like to enjoy every now and then" said Andrew.

"Like I said, you only live once so why not enjoy the experience to the max. Unfortunately for you all, you'll never get that chance" said Beelzemon pulling out his two shotguns.

"Time to get to work guys" said Salamon.

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

"Double Impact!" said Beelzemon firing two black orbs from each of his guns toward the group.

"Celestial Arrow" said Angewomon sending her golden arrow straight through one of the orbs and destroying it.

"Talisman of Light" added Taomon using her magical symbol to stop the other incoming attack.

"Atomic Blaster" said Guilmon firing his twin orange beams and striking Beelzemon. Beelzemon took the full force of the attack and was sent back a few steps. Beelzemon just shrugged off the attacks and laughed.

"You guys have improved some but you'll need more power than that to stop me." laughed the Demon Lord.

"You're right, we are gonna need more power to beat you. That is why I started to figure this out awhile ago." said Winona holding her Digivice close to her. A purple color aura formed around her body as she began to point her Digivice toward Andrew. "Unlock Honesty!"


	68. Ch 68 Two for One

_**Ch. 68 Two for One**_

A beam of purple colored light struck Andrew directly over his tag and crest causing a grey aura to form around his body. WarGrowlmon reverted back to his Guilmon form and ran over to Andrew's side, both of them feeling a new form of power rushing through them.

"How did you know that would work?" asked Brandi is complete shock.

"What is known cannot be a false unless proven otherwise. Facts, data, numbers, they can never lie which make them honest facts. A person who is knowledgeable on one field knows all the truths to that field. That being said, a wise person cannot be dishonest." answered Winona.

"Glad you figured that out, ready Guilmon" said Andrew.

"Yeah, let's take down this Demon Lord" replied Guilmon.

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

Gallantmon stood before the Demon Lord bearing solid white armor with a gold trim. Pieces of red colored armor were placed on his waist, feet, shoulders, and made part of his helmet. The great knight Digimon held a long silver colored lance with a red handle in one hand and a large silver shield with golden edging and symbols in the other hand. A long red cape flowed behind the Digimon as he stood ready to fight Beelzemon.

"I am Gallantmon, the embodiment of the true power behind Honesty and truth. You have brought much darkness to this world" spoke the newly formed Digimon pointing his lance toward Beelzemon.

"Ugh… Another stuck up Digimon. I'd better do something about that, Double Impact!" cried Beelzemon firing two more shots with his weapons. Gallantmon stopped both attacks with his shield rather easily.

"You cannot win. Let me show you a real attack, Lightning Joust!" cried Gallantmon holding out his lance. A surge of electricity rushed through the weapon in a bright blue color. Gallantmon launched the current striking Beelzemon and sending him flying into one of the distant buildings.

"I'll crush you for that" roared Beelzemon recovering from the attack.

"Just try it" mocked Gallantmon confidently.

--

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

Justimon stood tall before Boltmon who discontinued his attack to see the newly formed Digimon before him Justimon took a more human like appearance wearing a grey helmet that covered his face with a long red scarf tied around his neck almost reaching the ground. The Digimon was colored in a dark blue with white lines going over various part of his body. His right arm was encased in metal making this feature stand out overall.

"I Justimon am the total embodiment of powers of Harmony and peace. Those who try to disrupt the harmony of others will have to answer to me" spoke the Digimon confidently.

"I destroy you… Tomahawk Crunch!" said Boltmon swinging his massively sized weapon toward Justimon.

"You know you're starting to sound like a broken record right?" mocked Justimon as he caught the weapon with his metallic arm and held its great force back. Justimon then used the same force that tried to crush him and send Boltmon tumbling onto the ground with one push.

"Justimon is so strong" said Ann, amazed.

"He held back that much force with only one hand" added Albert spell bound.

"That's my partner. Show that Digimon who's boss" cheered Javi.

"No problem buddy." said Justimon confidently.

"Must destroy… Tomahawk Crunch" said Boltmon recovering from the attack and rushing toward Justimon swinging his weapon wildly.

"You still on that? Humans and Digimon shouldn't run with sharp things you know. Justice Burst" said Justimon taking aim while his right arm changed form to resemble a cannon. A bright blue ball of energy shot from the cannon and knocked the large tomahawk into the air.

"I got this, Wing Blade" said Garudamon destroying Boltmon's weapon in mid-air.

"Thanks, Want to see something cool Javi?" asked Justimon with a laugh.

"Sure buddy" smiled Javi.

"Then watch this, Voltage Blade!" yelled Justimon as his right arm began to form a sword with a blade made out of white colored energy. Boltmon saw the blade and began to retreat quickly.

"Oh no you don't, heads up Justimon. Winning Knuckle" said MachGaogamon striking Boltmon and sending him flying toward Justimon.

"Thank you" said Justimon as he dashed toward Boltmon. Justimon made several quick swipes with his blade as he passed Boltmon then stopped and looked over the rampaging Digimon. Boltmon crashed into the ground then busted into tiny bits of data. The team regrouped with their partners, giving Javi the chance to see his new partner up close.

"Man that was so cool." exclaimed Javi.

"Thanks. Knew you would like that attack." said Justimon proudly.

"Now that Boltmon is gone, let's go find the others and get rid of this Domain's Demon Lord" said Albert. The group gave a quick nod then raced toward the cities center with a new mega level Digimon in tow.

--

The battle between Gallantmon and Beelzemon continued to rage on with Beelzemon starting to wear down. Beelzemon held out his twin shotguns and began his attack.

"Double Impact! Double Impact!" said Beelzemon launching a barrage of attacks toward Gallantmon. Gallantmon simply held out his shield, blocking all the Demon Lord's attacks.

"That all you got? Lightning Joust!" cried Gallantmon launching his attack. The attack collided with one of Beelzemon's shotguns destroying it.

"Why? Why can't I hurt you!?" exclaimed Beelzemon refusing to admit defeat.

"I have more power than you could ever hope to obtain. I have someone to draw strength from, someone who relies on me, someone who believes in me" stated Gallantmon.

"Is that so?" laughed Beelzemon glancing at Andrew. Beelzemon aimed his attacks toward the ground causing a black cloud of dust to appear. Once the dust settled, the group saw Beelzemon holding Andrew tightly with one arm and aiming one of his weapons toward Andrew with the other. Brandi, Winona, Taomon, and Angewomon made no effort to break the two appear for fear of harming their fellow Digidestined.

"If you make one more move toward me, I'll turn your little partner into data"

"You coward…" growled Gallantmon.

"Face it, I win and you lose. Now drop your weapon and I'll let your precious partner go" said Beelzemon. Gallantmon had no choice but to concede and drop his two weapons to the ground.

"Good" laughed Beelzemon. Beelzemon aimed his single gun toward Gallantmon and fired, sending the knight tumbling onto the ground.

"Now then, to get rid of you once and for all" said Beelzemon aiming his weapon for another shot at Gallantmon.

"Justice Blast!" cried Justimon hitting Beelzemon directly on his back causing the Demon Lord to lose grip of Andrew. Justimon quickly pulled Andrew away from Beelzemon's reach.

"Talisman of Light" chanted Taomon as she created her attack.

"Celestial Arrow" put in Angewomon launching her arrow. The two attacks formed together and destroyed Beelzemon's second shotgun. Gallantmon quickly recovered off the ground and picked up his two weapons while dashing toward Beelzemon.

"This is for harming the Digital World, Lightning Joust!" cried Gallantmon sending Beelzemon flying into the air.

"And this is for endangering my partner, Shield of the Just!" yelled Gallantmon taking aim with his shield. All the golden symbols began to glow before firing an enormous energy beam that collided with Beelzemon. Beelzemon let out one final scream as the attack turned him into nothing but bits of data.

"That did it" said Winona.

"Looks like Andrew isn't the only one with a new Digimon." smiled Brandi.

"Yep, Monodramon changed to Justimon and took out Beelzemon's lackey" said Javi with pride.

"Good thing you got here when you did, if not Andrew would be in a lot of trouble right now" said Taomon.

"Nothing to it" laughed Ann. the group was startled by a sudden earthquake. The whole domain began to fade into pieces of data with its controller now defeated.

"Let's go home guys, we've had enough fun for one day" said Albert leading the team out of the now fading City Domain.


	69. Ch 69 Down Into Darkness

_**Ch. 69 Down Into Darkness**_

With their leaders fully rested and relaxed, the Digidestined meet at the lake once again to tackle another Demon Lord. Winona updated her circle by adding Michelle's, Andrew's, and Javi's pictures in the empty slots. Only half the team was left to have their crests true power unlocked.

"So which domain are we going to next?" asked TJ.

"All that are left are the Mountain, Jungle, Sky, and Ruin Domains. I say we just continue the order and head for the Mountain Domain next" suggested Winona.

"Sounds like a plan, whose going?" asked TJ.

"Since it's a mountain like area, we need Digimon who can fly or climb easily. That'll make getting up the peaks easier" thought Albert.

"So then how about me, TJ, Ann, Brandi, Albert, Javi and Michelle" said Cody.

"We'll be your back up then" smiled Andrew.

"Then let's get to it, Digiport open!" said Ann holding her Digivice to the laptop's screen. The Digidestined were then sucked through the screen in the usual fashion for their next battle with a Demon Lord.

--

"Thanks for the lift Locomon" said Brandi as she exited the train car with Salamon.

"No problem, keep up the good work kids, our world will be fixed in no time at this rate" encouraged Locomon as he began to leave the Mountain Station. As the team exited the solid stone train station and were able to see the words MOUNTAIN STATION engraved on one of the walls.

"So this is the Mountain Domain." said Cody examining the towering peaks before them. Rows and rows of mountains lay before the team. Each mountain peak reached different elevation and was colored in a different shade of grey. One peak stood out from the others as it towered above the rest. This mountain was made from black stone and towered so high that clouds seemed to encircle the mid way point of this cliff.

"Let me guess where this Domain's Demon Lord is living" said Javi sarcastically.

"Big tall scary mountain… very original" sighed Monodramon.

"We'd better start flying and find the Demon Lord" suggested Ann.

"Then let's get to work" smiled Veemon.

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… Metal Garurumon_

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon, Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon_

The Digidestined climbed onto their partners back and headed straight for the towering, black colored mountain in the distance. Their journey was going smoothly until several orbs shot past the group barely missing them. The group looked back to see three Digimon in hot pursuit of the team. Each Digimon looked to be half dragon, half snake with an orange colored body and yellow scales. The Digimon's arms were replaced with metal claws, had large purple wings, and wore a black metal helmet.

"Megadramon, dark dragon type Digimon at the ultimate level. Those claws can turn into cannons so they can use their Darkside Attack to blow away their enemies" said Brandi reading the data off her D-Dex.

"You guys move on ahead" said MachGaogamon stopping mid flight and facing the approaching evil Digimon.

"We can hold them off while you get to the Demon Lord" said MetalGarurumon joining MachGaogamon.

"We'll join you guys after we stop these guys" added Angewomon joining the other Digimon and facing the Megadramon.

"Alright, be careful" said Cody as he and the other Digidestined continued for the large mountain in the distance. The remaining three Digidestined watched as their Megadramon drew closer and closer.

"We'll get the ugly one" mocked Albert.

"Which one's the ugly one?" replied Michelle with a laugh.

--

Cody and his group finally reached the large mountain where they believed the Demon Lord was hiding. The Digidestined rode their partners to the very peak of the mountain where they found a large, open field made of stone. Waiting in the center of the field was Belphemon who watch the Digidestined land on one edge of the field.

"So you have arrived" said Belphemon.

"Yeah we have." said Javi. Cyberdramon reverted back to his rookie form of Monodramon and stood by Javi's side. "Want to go mega?"

"Thought you'd never ask"

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

"So… three mega level Digimon and one ultimate level Digimon versus one Demon Lord. This is not a fair fight. I'll wait for your friends to arrive if you want" laughed Belphemon.

"We'll defeat you before they even show up" said TJ confidently.

"Is that so… why not take your time. There's no rush for you to reach your demise. Just sit back and sleep. Loaf around is you want. I do not care" said Belphemon.

"Nobody likes to be lazy you know" said Ann.

"Humans and Digimon alike are lazy creatures. They lay around doing nothing expecting others to accomplish their goals for them. Though you may see this as bad, I see it as wonderful. Doing nothing is great." said Belphemon.

"We're not lazy like you. We ain't afraid to get our hands dirty and do work." spoke TJ sternly.

"Fools, I gave you the chance to enjoy the view but I guess I'll have to put you all to sleep, permanently!" yelled Belphemon holding out his hands.

"Get ready guys" said WarGreymon bracing himself for battle.

"Gift of Darkness!" yelled Belphemon throwing a ball of spiraling black energy toward WarGreymon. WarGreymon used his shield to deflect the attack into the sky.

"So you've learned a thing or two since we last met. Good, I wouldn't want this all to end to quickly. Gift of Darkness!" said Belphemon throwing two more of his dark attacks toward the Digimon team.

"Voltage Blade!" cried Justimon using his glowing saber to cut through one of the dark orbs.

"Ulforce Saber" continued UlforceVeedramon destroying the other orb.

"Wing Blade" said Garudamon firing her flaming attack toward Belphemon. Belphemon used another one of his attacks to negate Garudamon's attack. he then summoned another dark orb and threw it toward Garudamon. The orb collided with Garudamon causing her to return to her Hawkmon form. Ann ran onto the battle field and caught her partner before she could crash on the ground.

"Are you ok Hawkmon?" asked Ann trying to stir her partner.

"Ann, get off the battle field before you get hurt" yelled TJ.

"Too late, Gift of Darkness!" cried Belphemon throwing another orb toward Ann. TJ sprinted toward Ann and her fallen partner hoping to reach her in time. UlforceVeedramon flew overhead, trying to reach the attack before it could collide with the pair. TJ quickly reached Ann and grabbed her while UlforceVeedramon held back the orb with his saber then deflected the attack into the sky above.

"Nice work buddy" yelled TJ.

"Anytime" replied UlforceVeedramon.

"I had hoped for all of you but you two will do, Gift of Darkness" Said Belphemon throwing two more orbs into the ground. The ground below TJ and Ann began to give way. The pair soon found themselves falling into the dark abyss below, TJ still holding on to Ann with all his might.

"TJ! I'm com…" started UlforceVeedramon but was cut off with another attack by Belphemon onto his back. UlforceVeedramon reverted back to his Veemon form and fell into the darkness below, weakened by the Demon Lord's attack.

"Guys!" yelled Cody. "What happened to them?"

"They have fallen into the heart of Black Spire where they will lay and slumber in darkness forever. I wouldn't worry about them since you'll be joining them soon" laughed Belphemon preparing another one of his attacks. Cody and Javi had to continue the battle and hope that TJ and Ann could find a way out of Belpehmon's trap before it was too late and they were lost in the abyss forever.


	70. Ch 70 Deep Sleep

_**Ch. 70 Deep Sleep**_

"Howling Cannon!" cried MachGaogamon sending the Megadramon back with his series of blue rings.

"Celestial Arrow" added Angewomon launching her golden arrows toward the incoming enemies.

"Nice shot Angewomon" complimented Brandi riding on her partners back.

"We'd better hurry up and finish so we can catch up with the others" said Albert while sitting on MachGaogamon's shoulder.

"Then we'd better get these guys to chill out" smiled Michelle "MetalGarurumon…."

"On it, Ice Wolf Bite!" yelled MetalGarurumon launching his flurry of ice missiles onto the three Megadramon. Each missile collided with the Megadramon dead on, freezing them into solid ice sculptures.

"Celestial Arrow" said Angewomon destroying one of the Megadramon with a quick arrow.

"Winning Knuckle!" added MachGaogamon using his two metal fists to shatter the remaining two evil Digimon.

"Well that ends that" said Michelle watching their enemy's data drift off into the sky.

"Let's go find the others. Knowing them, they've probably found the Demon Lord here and are probably fighting already" said Albert. The group faced the black mountain before them and began their journey to its peak.

--

"Voltage Blade!" cried Justimon trying to land a blow on Belphemon. Belphemon dodged each swing from the glowing blade before knocking Justimon back with a swift kick.

"Pathetic Digidestined, you will not defeat me. Why don't you just join your two friends already. The more they sleep in my little cave, the move they lose themselves to darkness" said Belphemon.

"Man this guys tough" said Cody.

"Any ideas how to get the others out of that hole?" asked Javi.

"We could go down and help them but we need our partners for that and their kinda busy right now. We'll have to wait till the others arrive" answered Cody. Not being able to help the others was crushing Cody inside.

"Terra Force" said WarGreymon throwing a giant, orange colored orb toward Belphemon. Belphemon used his Gift of Darkness attack to cancel out the power of the Terra Force attack.

"Come now children, give me more of a fight."

"I can arrange that, Metal Wolf Claw" said MetalGarurumon shooting a stream of blue energy toward Belphemon. The attack hit Belphemon directly on his chest sending him back onto the edge of the stone field.

"Nice shot buddy" smiled Michelle

"Javi… watch WarGreymon for me" said Cody as he watch the others arrive on the battle field. Cody dashed toward the large hole in the ground then dived in, hoping that he could help the fallen Digidestined in some way. Before Javi could realize what Cody was doing, Cody had already jumped into the gaping hole, being swallowed by the dark abyss below.

--

Ann felt her head pounding but other than that, she was fine. She opened her eyes and saw that she was lying in the middle of a cave. Various stalagmites and stalactites littered the room which was illuminated by a small stream of light coming in from the ceiling. Ann tried to stand up but felt too weak to even try. Ann continued to observe the room and found Hawkmon laying by her side. Ann then spotted TJ and Veemon unconscious a few feet away from her.

"You ok Ann?" asked Hawkmon.

"Yeah… Guess I got ourselves into another mess huh?" frowned Ann.

"Yes but your heart was in the right place." said Hawkmon cheering up Ann.

"Are they alright?" asked Ann looking over to TJ and Veemon.

"I think so… but I'm not sure. Think you can walk over to them?" asked Hawkmon trying to stand.

"I'll try" said Ann. The pair supported each other as they made their way to TJ's and Veemon's sides. Once they had reached their friends, they collapsed right next to them. Ann recollected herself and sat next to TJ while Hawkmon did the same for Veemon.

"TJ… TJ… wake up" said Ann shaking TJ's body.

"Come on Veemon, time to wake up" said Hawkmon fanning Veemon with her feathers.

"Ugh… my head…" started TJ as he began to awaken from the fall "You ok Ann?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for you to get hurt" said Ann trying to fight back her tears.

"It's alright, I kinda wish we didn't have to fall a couple of stories down but it's alright" smiled TJ. TJ tried to sit up but couldn't muster the strength. TJ remained laying on the ground with Veemon by his side.

"Anybody know how we get out of this cave?" asked Veemon.

"I'd try to fly us out but I'm too weak to even try and Digivolve" frowned Hawkmon.

"Don't think I could do the same" added Veemon.

"We'd better think of something quick or we'll be stuck down here forever" said TJ looking into the fading light pouring in from above. The opening in the ceiling seemed to grow smaller and smaller, allowing less light to enter the cave.

"I hope the others come and save us soon." said Ann.

"They will, I know they will" encouraged TJ before letting out a yawn.

"Feeling tired buddy?" asked Veemon.

"Yeah, I don't remember landing on the ground but for some reason, I feel all my energy leaving me, I just want to sleep right now" said TJ beginning to close his eyes.

"You can rest, we'll stay awake and watch things" smiled Ann. She wouldn't admit it but she was feeling drained herself. TJ just gave a quick nod and stared to drift off into sleep.

"He has a good plan…" yawned Veemon as he joined TJ for a nap.

Ann looked into the hole above and tried to think of a way out before it was too late. Something caught Ann's attention as she noticed the hole open wider and allow another figure to tumble onto the caves floor. Ann smiled once she realized it was Cody.

"We're over here Cody. You ok?" yelled Ann.

Cody regained his ground and walked over to the group. Once he noticed TJ sleeping, he began to frantically try and wake his friend up.

"TJ! TJ! You can't sleep in here! You have to wake!"

"Calm down Cody, he's just tired and taking a nap" said Ann trying to calm Cody down.

"He has to wake up now! Belphemon created this place to send anybody who sleeps here for too long into darkness" explained Cody trying to wake TJ up. Ann soon joined Cody in his efforts while Hawkmon began to try and awaken Veemon.

"Nap times over Veemon" said Hawkmon slapping Veemon with her wing repeatedly.

"Wake up bro, now's not the time to sleep" said Cody shaking TJ.

"Please wake up" put in Ann trying to help Cody.

"No… TJ, stay with us… don't fall to darkness…" said Cody still frantically trying to wake up his friend.

"Come on TJ, wake up. Please" said Ann as tears began to roll down her face.

"_He's mine now kids."_

"Is that Belphemon?" said Hawkmon looking up into the cave's ceiling.

"_He's falling deeper and deeper into the darkness. Try all you want to awaken him, you're just shortening the amount of time you all have left in there"_

"I won't let you get a hold of him. TJ, wake up" yelled Cody.

"_You forget child. You are in darkness where I reign supreme. There is no light that can pierce my darkest spell."_

"TJ, wake up!" screamed Ann. Ann quickly slapped TJ across the face causing TJ to awaken quickly. Hawkmon, seeing as how this method worked, did the same with Veemon. Veemon and TJ quickly sat up then held the sides of their faces where they had gotten hit on.

"What was that for?" growled TJ.

"We were only sleeping for a bit" added Veemon.

"Your awake" said Ann throwing her arms around TJ.

"Yeah, we kinda said we were gonna take a little nap. What are you doing down here Cody?" asked TJ.

"I jumped in to save you guys" smiled Cody.

"_You're just prolonging the inevitable. You still have no way out of her, my spell will just keeping draining the light out of you until you sleep for all eternity"_

"We need a plan" said Cody.

"Any ideas?" asked TJ.

"_Nothing can pierce through my darkness!"_

"Didn't you learn anything from our fight with Myotismon? My light can pierce through any Darkness" echoed a familiar voice through the cave. The opening in the top of the cave began to grow and grow as more light poured into the room.

"_No, this can't be. My spell, it's wearing away"_

"Bet you forgot that our buddy Albert can see through darkness and hold it back with his crest" laughed Cody as the light began to surround them.

"Need a lift guys?" asked Albert as he and MachGaogamon appeared in the opening above.

"_You still won't beat me back up here"_

"Just you wait, you're going down Belphemon" yelled Cody


	71. Ch 71 Flames of the Phoenix

_**Ch. 71Flames of the Phoenix**_

"How did you know to come and help us Albert?" asked Ann. TJ, Ann, Cody, Hawkmon, and Veemon were all riding in one of MachGaogamon's hands while they were being carried out of Belphemon's cave.

"Well by the time me and the others got to the battle field, we saw that Cody had just jumped in after you guys. Javi explained what had happened and what that cave does to people so me and MachGaogamon decided to come in after you guys while the others kept Belphemon busy. Guess once the Demon Lord saw me come in, he panicked and tried to get you guys to fall asleep faster" explained Albert.

"Have I told you how much I love that crest of yours" laughed Cody.

"It's saved us a lot from darkness loads of times" added TJ.

"Yeah, that's how I figured I'd have to be the one to come in here." smiled Albert.

"Nice to know that darkness no longer bothers you" pointed out MachGaogamon.

"It can haunt me from time to time but I'm learning to shrug it off. Besides, as long as I can stand up to darkness, Kayla will know it's alright for her to do the same" said Albert.

"Thanks man that really means a lot to me" said Cody.

"Told you they would come and help us Ann" smiled TJ.

"Yeah, no matter what, you can never give up hope" put in Veemon.

"When you have trust in someone, you put your faith on them also" said TJ.

"So then trust and faith are connected hen" said Ann holding her tag and crest in her hand.

"We're reaching the top of Black Spire already guys" put in Albert. MachGaogamon reached the outside area of the mountain peak and allowed his passengers to rejoin the group of Digidestined now currently in battle with Belphemon.

"So you escaped. No matter, I'll still crush you all" said Belphemon looking over the newly arrived Digidestined.

"Ready for round two Veemon?" asked TJ.

"Yep, feeling all better now" smiled Veemon.

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon._

"Think it's time to introduce the next mega level Digimon to the team" added TJ gripping his Digivice as a teal colored aura surrounded his body.

"Unlock Faith!" yelled TJ as a beam of teal colored light struck Ann directly over her tag and crest. A yellow aura soon formed around Ann causing both her and Hawkmon to feel a rush of energy surge through them.

"Ready to send this Demon Lord packing?" asked Ann with a smile.

"Let's get rid him once and for all" said Hawkmon confidently.

_Hawkmon Warp Digivolved to… Phoenixmon_

Phoenixmon appeared in a glorious flash of light. She was covered in golden colored feathers with bright red feathers on her tail trailing up to the back of her head. Phoenixmon wore a bronze colored helmet and bore two golden colored rings on her legs. All four of her mighty wings glistened with a golden sparkle as she remained in flight.

"I am Phoenixmon, the embodiment of the true powers of faith. You have brought darkness into this world for the last time Belphemon" said Phoenixmon.

"You may have gotten bigger little bird but I will still crush you, Gift of Darkness!" yelled Belphemon throwing one of his dark orbs toward Phoenixmon. Phoenixmon gracefully dodged the attack and flew high into the air. Belphemon opened his giant wings and took off flying toward Phoenixmon.

"I'll crush you and your pathetic light" roared Belphemon.

"Ray of Victory!" yelled UlforceVeedramon shooting off his golden colored beam of energy.

"Terra Force" added WarGreymon throwing another giant orb toward Belphemon. Belphemon took the full force of the two attacks then stopped mid flight to counter with several of his own.

"Gift of Darkness!" yelled the Demon Lord throwing several black orbs toward the team below.

"Justice Burst!" yelled Justimon destroying one orb with his own attack.

"Metal Wolf Claw" added MetalGarurumon destroying another dark orb with his stream of freezing energy.

"Celestial Arrow" said Angewomon destroying another orb with her attack.

"Howling Cannon" finished MachGaogamon destroying the remaining dark orb.

"I won't be defeated by you insolent children. I will destroy you all!" bellowed Belphemon.

"Give it a rest already. You control over this Domain ends here and now. Crimson Flame" yelled Phoenixmon shooting a stream of deep red colored flames from her mouth. The stream of fire collided with Belphemon engulfing the Demon Lord in flames.

"I won't be defeated… I won't be…" cried Belphemon as he faded from existence into tiny bits of data.

"So ends another Demon Lord's reign" said Phoenixmon.

The Digidestined regrouped with their partners and took off into the sky as the Mountain Domain began to crumble shatter into tiny bits of data. Ann happily climbed onto her new partners back wearing a proud smile.

"We're more than half way there guys" yelled Javi who was riding with Albert on MachGaogamon seeing as how Justimon could not fly. Justimon stood on MachGaogamon's shoulder while Albert and Javi sat in MachGaogamon's metalize hand.

"We'll have saved the whole Digital World in no time at this rate" added Brandi. The team continued their journey away from the crumbling domain and returned home for some well deserved rest.

--

"Leviamon, Daemon, Beelzemon, and now Belphemon have fallen to the Digidestined. Our numbers are growing thin" said Barbamon. The remaining Demon Lords had joined together to discuss recent matters. The remaining demon trio stood before the Destiny Gate, Lucemon gazing into the glowing symbols off their fallen brethren.

"Though they may have fallen, their power is only added to the Destiny Gate. Once we discover how to release the eighth seal on the gate, we will be able to rule not only this world but also the human world." spoke Lilithmon.

"We cannot allow ourselves to be defeated. Our goal for the perfect utopia is close at hand. We'd be fools to throw all our work away. Still though, the seal of chaos puzzles me…" said Lucemon staring up at the Destiny Gate.

"What puzzles you my liege?" asked Barbamon.

"The power of the chaos seal is unknown to me. Though we are born from the seven other seals, the eight does not have a link to another." answered Lucemon.

"Our distortion of the Digital World was not enough to release the chaos seal. Maybe if we rid the Digital World's last light of hope, the final seal will be released and our plan will be complete." spoke Lilithmon.

"Yes, this idea intrigues me. Both of you, return to your domains and prepare for the Digidestine's arrival. They will be entering the jungle region next if I am not mistaken." said Lucemon.

"I will await their arrival my lord. Consider those who defy your will destroyed" laughed Barbamon exiting Lucemon's chamber.

"We will dispose of the Digidestined swiftly my lord" added Lilithmon as she returned to her domain.

"Half the dark seals have been released thus far. Once I discover the mystery of the final seal, my utopia will be born. Continue your little quest Digidestined. You and your pathetic partners will not live to see my new world" laughed Lucemon.


	72. Ch 72 Jungle Deep

_**Ch. 72 Jungle Deep**_

"Hey check this out guys" said Winona as she showed the group her laptop screen. The Digidestined had met at the lake in their usual fashion and were preparing for another trip to the Digital World. The whole area was enveloped in a spring like atmosphere with the trees bearing many bright green leaves and small flowers blooming in tiny patches scattered around the lake side.

"Man, we've come a long way with unlocking each other's crests. Only you, me, Brandi, and Kayla need to have our crest's true power unlocked" said Albert looking over the screen.

"And that's not all, I managed to get a clear map of the Domains" said Winona typing on her laptop. A picture of the reconfigured Digital World appeared showing seven massive islands floating in space along with a smaller island secluded from the others.

"Those are the seven Demon Lord Domains and the Serenity Domain" pointed out Viximon.

"And now watch this" said Winona entering a few more keystrokes. Four of the seven larger islands vanished leaving only three more controlled domains left.

"Since Lucemon is the supposed leader of the group, I believe his Domain is that island in the center. Unfortunately, his domain is protected by the remaining two domains so we can't battle him till we take out Barbamon and Lilithmon" said Winona.

"Then let's get to work" said Cody pulling out his Digivice.

--

The Digidestined decided to send Cody, TJ, Albert, Winona, Kayla, Andrew, and Javi on this mission to the Digital World. Locomon carried the Digidestined and their respective partners to the next Demon Lord residing in the Jungle Domain. Locomon soon pulled into a station made out of grey bricks and covered in many vines. The Digidestined exited Locomon's train car and left the station which bore the words JUNGLE STATION over the entrance door.

"It's so hot here" said Kayla fanning herself with her hand.

"Most jungles are humid in climate" responded Winona wiping the sweat off her brow.

"Where do you think we should look for the Demon Lord?" asked Veemon.

"I think that temple over there is a dead giveaway" sighed Javi pointing to a massive structure in the distance. Though the temple seemed far away from the Digidestine's current location, the giant structure could still be seen in the distance. The building seemed to be glistening in the sunlight making it stand out amongst the thick trees and vines.

"Better start heading over there then" sad Cody leading the group.

"Wouldn't want to keep the Demon Lord waiting" laughed Agumon.

Kayla followed then stopped when she heard some rustling behind her. She looked around the train station but could see nothing to have caused the sound.

"Something wrong Kayla?" asked Lopmon.

"I thought I heard something moving, guess it was nothing" said Kayla with a shrug.

"Guess so, come on, we need to stick with the others" said Lopmon leading Kayla, Kayla still looking back every now and then.

The group made their way through the dense jungle. The mess of trees and vines made the journey a bit difficult to traverse but the team pressed forward none the less. After the group had traveled through the great tropical forest for some time, they found the temple situated in what seemed like the center of the vast jungle. The temple appeared to be made out of solid gold that shined from the blazing sun light above. The structure resembled an Aztec pyramid but took on a diamond shape with a series of golden steps providing an entry way into the great temple.

"Wow, this place would be worth a fortune in the real world" said Andrew.

"Yeah but money can't buy you happiness" said Gaomon.

"I'd like to debate that" smiled Javi, Monodramon just let out a small sigh.

The Digidestined team made their way up the golden steps and into the pyramid. The interior was just as impressive as the outside area. The room they were currently in was totally illuminated by various torches positioned on the walls. The walls bore many ancient writings and symbols along with various gems embedded into each surface.

"Wow… I wonder…" started Winona touching one of the jewels on the wall's surface.

"Don't even think it" sighed Renamon pulling Winona away from the wall.

"Intruders…" buzzed in one voice suddenly.

"We must get rid of intruders" added a second voice.

"Who's there?" shouted Veemon.

Four Digimon suddenly appeared before the group as if materializing out of thin air. The digital creatures resembled insects but took on a human like appearance with a green colored body along with red and yellow markings. The Digimon had a set of clear colored wings emerging from their backs and held a long green spear with a red tip in their hands.

"JewelBeemon, insect type Digimon at the ultimate level. They can use their wings to bend light around themselves making them invisible and use their weapons to perform their Spike Buster attack." spoke Kayla reading the data off her D-Dex carefully. "I thought I heard something following us back at the station"

"Lord Barbamon requests that intruders to temple be destroyed." said one of the JewelBeemon.

"We follow you from station to temple where we get rid of you" buzzed another JewelBeemon.

"Just try is" challenged TJ.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon_

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon, Kyubimon Digivolved to… Taomon_

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

"Why'd you guys only go to the champion level" asked Cody suddenly.

"Our other forms are too big for this tiny room" said Turuiemon

"We don't want this whole place falling in on top of us" added Gaogamon.

"Spike Buster!" cried the JewelBeemon altogether. Several bolts of red energy shot forth toward the group. Gallantmon quickly dashed forward and blocked the attacks with his great shield.

"Try this on for size, Lightning Joust" said Gallantmon holding out his lance and striking one of the JewelBeemon with his attack. The evil Digimon soon burst into bits of data leaving only three more left to deal with.

"Mega Claw!" shouted WarGreymon destroying another one of the Digimon with his spiraling cyclone attack.

"Ulforce Saber" continued UlforceVeedramon taking out another JewelBeemon.

"Justice Burst" added Justimon taking out the remaining Digimon with his cannon attack.

"Aww… we didn't get to attack" frowned Winona.

"So you children have arrived to my temple. I've been waiting for my turn to play with such worthy adversaries but three of you don't belong with the others." laughed a voice which the team figured was Barbamon.

"What do you mean three of us don't belong…" started Kayla. A trap door opened below Kayla, Turuiemon, Albert, Gaogamon, Winona, and Taomon sending them falling downward.

"Kayla!" yelled Cody seeing his sister fall into the trap.

"We'll help them" said Javi as he and Justimon leapt in after the others.

Cody was about to do the same until the ground below him and the remaining Digidestined began to rise. A series of holes opened above the remaining team members as the platform they were on began to rise.

"We have our own problems to deal with" said TJ holding Cody back.

"Javi, Albert, and Winona are with Kayla so she should be fine" assured Andrew.

The platform stopped rising at a room filled with gems and precious metals. A skylight above allowed sunlight to pour into the room causing the items to shine and glisten. Amongst all the treasures stood Barbamon, glaring at the remaining Digidestined and looking for a battle.


	73. Ch 73 Tricks and Traps

_**Ch. 73 Tricks and Traps**_

"What's the matter my young friend? You look so very angry" laughed Barbamon staring directly at Cody.

"What'd you do with my sister and my friends?" growled Cody.

"Oh nothing, they will be lucky enough to explore my temple first hand. They may join us later or they may not. The route to this level of the pyramid is quiet… tricky." said the Demon Lord. "They will be privileged enough to see all my precious treasures and jewels. They will see all MY beautiful gems… all MY wondrous treasures."

"You're treasures? I bet you wouldn't even have them if you hadn't taken over the Digital World" said TJ.

"I wish to have all of life's better offers. Why settle for less when you can have the best?" simply stated Barbamon.

"So sad, you'll never get to enjoy all life's simple pleasures if you live like that" said Andrew.

"The thirst for wealth and power fuel both Humans and Digimon alike. Who needs all those insignificant moments when you have as much power and wealth as me? Allow me to show you brats this idea, Crimson Flame!" yelled Barbamon using his hands to create several streams of searing hot flames.

"Sooner we take him out, sooner we can find my sister and the others" said Cody.

"Don't worry buddy, we'll stop this guy in no time" said WarGreymon confidently. The current trio of Digimon began their fight with Barbamon with the last three Digidestined hoping for the others to arrive soon.

--

"Well… for an evil trap, that wasn't so bad" said Javi as Justimon placed Javi onto the ground. While the team was falling down the trap hole, their partners quickly grabbed them and guided the back to the ground safely. All the groups Digimon reverted to the rookie forms then began to explore the room they were in. The room they had fallen into was bleak looking with brown colored walls covered with various plants emerging from the surfaces of each wall.

"Barbamon only wanted to separate us, not kill us" said Winona.

"How are we gonna get out of here?" asked Kayla.

"Looks like we have only one route to follow" said Gaomon directing the group to a hallway on the other side of the room. The Digidestined began to enter the hall way one by one with their partners by their sides. The team followed the twisting pathway till they reached a large room with a series of golden symbols scattered along the ground in a grid like fashion and a stair well on the opposite side of the room.

"Come on, lets hurry and help the others. Barbamon is probably fighting with them" said Javi about to dash across the room.

"Wait a second, something seems wrong here" said Winona examining the room.

"The room looks safe enough" said Monodramon.

"We already know this place is filled with traps, this room is probably one big trap." spoke Renamon.

"Oh come on, this isn't a movie or anything. How dangerous can it be?" said Javi placing his foot on one of the floor tiles. The tile sunk into the ground which was followed by a series of jeweled spears falling onto the tile Javi stepped on. Renamon quickly grabbed Javi and pulled him back into the hallway, allowing the spears to collide with the ground rather than Javi.

"Told you it was dangerous" said Renamon.

"I did help us with one thing though; we know which tiles not to step on. Since there are only two types of tiles here, we can cross the room simply. Just don't step on any other tiles but this one" said Winona pointing to a specific tile.

"Got it" said Albert leading the way. The first tile he stepped on remained firm as with all the tiles he walked on. After moving at a very slow pace, the team crossed the room safely and began their climb to the next level. The group then found another room atop the staircase resembling the first except it was a bit smaller and the various symbols on the ground were now gone.

"This one looks safe" said Kayla.

"That's how the first one looked" added Lopmon.

No sooner had the team entered the room, a stone wall sprung up from the entrance doorway and another wall at the exiting door way. The ceiling above was soon filled with many jeweled spikes and began to lower itself slowly toward the Digidestined.

"Of course… the slow death by being impaled" sighed Javi.

"No talking like that with Kayla around" snapped Albert looking for an exit or any way to stop the trap.

"Look over here guys, there's a small hole" yelled Gaomon directing their attention to a hole in the wall small enough for a young child to fit through.

"You all are too big to fit but Kayla can probably squeeze through there" said Renamon examining the hole.

"You're gonna have to be brave and go in there by yourself Kayla" said Albert.

"Ok… I'll be brave… just like my brother" said Kayla confidently as she began to crawl through the hole, Lopmon following her.

"Diamond Storm" said Renamon launching her attack in hopes of stopping the ceiling above.

"Wild Bark!" added Gaomon trying to stop the ever enclosing ceiling. The ceiling stopped for a moment only to increase its decent speed.

"Any other plans?" asked Albert nervously.

"Hope Kayla finds some way of disarming the trap" said Winona.

The ceiling and its many spikes were growing closer and closer. The group was startled by a loud rumbling sound. Kayla had emerged from the blocked stone pathway and was beckoning for the others to come toward her. Without hesitation, the team ran out of the room right before the ceiling slammed right into the ground. The group let out a sigh of relief and began to follow the stairs to the next level.

"What was through the hole Kayla?"asked Gaomon.

"Oh, it just leads you to this hallway. There was a switch next to the door that you guys just came through and when I pressed it, the door opened for you guys to come through. There was nothing to it" smiled Kayla.

"Wait till you brother hears how brave you were" said Monodramon.

"Yeah, he'll be so proud of you… ok this is weird" started Albert looking ahead of the group. The stairs that had been leading them up was now bringing them to a pathway that lead down, deeper into the pyramid. Before the pathway stood a small golden idol covered in many jewels atop a stone pedestal. Javi approached the idol and began to reach for it slowly.

"Hold it Javi, this has got to be the most obvious trap here" stated Winona.

"Oh please, this must be a reward for surviving those other two traps" smiled Javi as he grabbed the idol and lifted it off its pedestal. Javi simply smiled once he had fully lifted the jeweled figure and strolled over to the group now waiting for him at the beginning of the downward path.

"See, told you it wasn't dangerous" said Javi. Before any members of the group could respond, a loud click sound was heard followed by the room beginning to rumble.

"You were saying" glared Winona.

"What's the worst that could happen?" shrugged Javi.

"That, run!" yelled Albert grabbing Kayla's hand and beginning to sprint down the hallway with Gaomon and Lopmon. Winona and Javi soon saw a large boulder rolling toward them and followed behind Albert along with their partners. They ran and ran, further and further down the hallway with the massive boulder right behind them. Albert looked ahead and saw a doorway leading into another room. Both he and Kayla with their partners reached the room first with Winona, Javi, and their partners right behind them. The boulder collided with the doorway only to become wedged in the entryway.

"Javi… from now on… don't touch anything…." gasped Albert.

"How was I… supposed to know… a boulder would chase us the whole way down" panted Javi.

"Don't you ever watch movies with treasure hunting? Everything is usually a trap or something that leads you closer to what you're seeking" added Winona trying to catch her breath.

"Even I knew that" finished Kayla

"Well at least I got this" said Javi holding up the idol. Before Javi could admire his new treasure any more, the idol crumbled into dust leaving nothing behind. The room began to shake and move upward toward a hole in the ceiling.

"Easy come, easy go huh buddy?" said Monodramon trying to cheer Javi up over his loss.

"Looks like we're entering another room get ready for anything guys" said Gaomon. The group gave a quick nod while Javi still sulked over losing his treasure. The closer the team got to the opening above, the more fighting like sounds they could hear.


	74. Ch 74 In Pursuit of Knowledge

_**Ch. 74 In Pursuit of Knowledge**_

Barbamon began the battle quickly with his flame attack. Gallantmon held back the sweltering flames with his shield giving WarGreymon and UlforceVeedramon time to strike the Demon Lord with attacks of their own.

"Ulforce Saber" said UlforceVeedramon quickly dashing toward Barbamon and taking a few swipes with his glowing saber.

"Crimson Flame" said Barbamon countering the attack with his searing flames. UlforceVeedramon quickly used his blade to defect the fires away from his body.

"Ha, you think your little sword can stand up against me. You can't even land a blow on me" mocked Barbamon.

"Wasn't trying to strike you, just distract you" laughed UlforceVeedramon.

"What?" asked Barbamon in shock.

"Mega Claw!" yelled WarGreymon striking Barbamon with his giant cyclone attack. Barbamon discontinued his attack with UlforceVeedramon and stepped back only to be hit by a lightning bolt.

"You forget Barbamon, you're fighting against a team here" said Gallantmon taking aim with his lance.

"You brats" snarled Barbamon "I think that we need to mix things up a bit"

"Just give up already" said TJ

"You can't win, it's three vs. one" added Cody with a laugh.

"Well, if you're so sure about that… by the way, how's the view up there?" asked Barbamon in a playful, yet threatening manner.

"I think he's losing it" said Andrew.

"Yeah, we're all on the same… whoa!" said TJ as he was suddenly lifted off the ground and into the air.

"TJ!" said Cody suddenly. Cody felt something wrap around his legs and pull him up toward the ceiling.

"Guys…" began Andrew before he too was pulled into the air by some force around his legs.

The trio was pulled toward the ceiling by their feet. A series of vines had bonded their legs together then pulled them upward. The vines stopped leaving the three of them hanging from the high ceiling with their Digital partners gazing up at them from the ground below. Cody began to notice that the vines were beginning to wrap around their bodies. It wasn't long before he could feel the same vines squeezing his body slowly.

"Guys!" yelled the trio's partners altogether.

"We're ok… I think" struggled TJ.

"What did you do to them?" growled Gallantmon facing Barbamon.

"Oh those vines are one of my finer traps, the longer you fight with me, the more they'll constrict your partners. You could save them but I won't give you that chance. Crimson Flame!" yelled Barbamon launching his flames all around the room. Gallantmon deflected the attack with his shield in the usual manner.

WarGreymon made an effort to free the guys but was cut off by stream of fire created by Barbamon. WarGreymon, after seeing how close the flames got to the others, backed away to keep all three partners safe from harm. Cody, TJ, and Andrew could only watch the battle happening below, the vines slowly constricting around their bodies.

"You can't get to close to them without putting them in danger of being cooked. I did always like Bar-B-Que" laughed Barbamon.

"Now, which one wants to be destroyed first" mocked Barbamon.

"Voltage Blade!" said Justimon striking Barbamon with his electric sword. Barbamon tumbled across the ground then recollected himself.

"Talisman of Light" continued Taomon sending Barbamon back a few paces.

"Hey guys, what are you doing up there?" asked Javi tilting his head up ward and looking at the guys suspended above.

"We're just hanging out. Get us down before the vines squeeze the life out of us!" barked Cody.

"On it, Bunny Blades" said Antylamon creating a series of pink energy blades. The blades carefully freed the guys who were then caught by MachGaogamon's metal hand on their descent back to the ground below.

"So you children survived my little traps. How very… fortunate for you" glared Barbamon.

"Yep, nothing to it" said Albert with pride.

"All we had to do was stay calm" added Kayla

"And look at each trap rationally" continued Winona.

"Even if Javi almost killed us several times" finished Justimon with a laugh.

"I'll go watch a bunch of action adventure movies when we go back home but I did learn something important down there" said Javi half annoyed and half relaxed.

"And that would be?" asked Barbamon.

"In order to analyze a situation carefully, you must first remain calm, cool, and collected. Once you have achieved this state of peace and harmony, finding the wisdom to solve any problem is easy to obtain. Now if you don't mind" said Javi grasping his Digivice as a green aura formed around his body.

"Unlock Wisdom!" yelled Javi as a beam of green light burst from his Digivice and struck Winona over her tag and crest. A purple aura began to form around her body while Taomon reverted back to Renamon.

"I can feel the power of my crest, you ready Renamon?" said Winona.

"Yes, I'm ready to begin once you are" replied Renamon feeling the same energy flow through her body.

_Renamon Warp Digivolved to… Sakuyamon_

Sakuyamon appeared in a bright flash of light. She looked partly human with yellow and black armor with purple gloves and boots. The symbols she bore as Renamon returned as they were clearly imprinted on her armor, gloves, and boots. The whore suit of armor almost resembled Renamon with the visor part of her armor closely resembling Renamon's face and ears. Sakuyamon also carried a golden staff with one large circle on the top and several rings hanging from various parts of the staff.

"I am Sakuyamon, the embodiment of the power of Wisdom. You Demon Lords have greedily taken over the Digital World, causing so much pain and destruction. Your thirst for power ends here and now"

"You think you will be the one to defeat me? Come and try it little fox" mocked Barbamon. "Crimson Flame!"

The flames shot toward Sakuyamon at a fast rate. The flames encircled Sakuyamon all while Barbamon let out a laugh. Sakuyamon swung her staff once in an elegant fashion dispelling all the flames. Barbamon's laughter was replaced with a look of shock. Sakuyamon only let out a small smirk visible below her visor.

"But how… my spell was so strong" stammered Barbamon.

"Your magic is strong but mine is stronger, now for you to release this domain's data back to the Digital World" said Sakuyamon lifting her staff into the air.

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon creating four colored orbs to appear above her staff. Each orb took on the form of a tiny fox then flew toward Barbamon, striking him and sending the Demon Lord toppling onto the ground.

"This will end it. Twin Blades of Beauty…" started Sakuyamon creating a ring of purple energy with one swing of her staff "… and Truth" finished Sakuyamon creating another ring with her staff. The two rings collided with Barbamon leaving nothing but his data to fly into the air.

"So ends your reign of terror" said Sakuyamon calmly. The whole room began to shake and crumble into bits of data. The whole team began to join their partners and exit the room by using the skylight above as an exit.

"I think I'll take just one little gem" said Javi reaching over for a small red jewel sitting in a huge pile of gold coins.

"Sorry buddy, don't need any more traps going off" said Justimon grabbing Javi by his collar and dragging him over to MachGaogamon for a safe exit from the vanishing Jungle Domain.


	75. Ch 75 Unthinkable Battle

_**Ch. 75 Unthinkable Battle**_

"We're getting close to the Sky Domain guys" said TJ looking out the train car's window.

Locomon was traveling to the next Demon Lord Domain carrying the entire Digidestined team in his train car. Locomon soon pulled into a new train station made out of yellow colored stones with a white trim going around the sides of the building. The words SKY STATION were imprinted on the sides of the station in a light blue color. Once Locomon came to a full stop, the team exited the train car and left the station.

"I always wondered what the Sky Domain looked like… guess I got my answer" said Brandi.

The sky domain was covered with small islands topped with green grass against a deep blue sky. Many white clouds floated around in the endless sky enclosing the entire region. The same yellow bricks that made up the train station made several bridges, connecting each island to each other. All the islands and bridges lead higher and higher into the skies above.

"Yep, it's hard to think how something could warp the skies above the Digital World but here we are in the Sky Domain" smiled Salamon.

"Let's start heading out and find the Demon Lord here" said Cody taking charge and leading the group. The team followed their confident leader over several of the bridges climbing higher and higher into the skies. The higher the team climbed, the more the sky changed from day to night, stars littering the night sky.

"I think we're getting closer to the Demon Lord" said TJ examining the surrounding area. The stone pathways were beginning to change from yellow bricks to white bricks with more and more stone buildings starting to appear. The team finally reached one island covered with various flowers growing from the edges of the floating islands. Lilithmon stood at the end of the island gazing into a small hand mirror.

"Correction, we found the Demon Lord" said Veemon ready for battle.

"Aren't I pretty children? Be honest, am I beautiful?" asked Lilithmon still gazing into the mirror.

"Nope" replied Javi.

"Have to agree with him" added TJ pointing to Javi.

"Can't say that you are" continued Albert.

"You aren't even close" said Cody.

"I'd have to say no" finished Andrew.

"But… I am beautiful… a feast for the eyes if you will" continued Lilithmon appearing to be hypnotized with the image in the mirror.

"Look lady, you're not pretty, good-looking, or anything close to that" said Winona sounding rather annoyed.

"Foolish Digidestined, I am perfect, I am the desire of all Digimon…" began the Demon Lord lowering the mirror.

"Who would want you?" mocked Kayla.

"Yeah, nobody wants somebody who is obsessed with their self" continued Michelle.

"It doesn't matter how you look" said Ann.

"It's what you have in the inside that counts, not the outside" finished Brandi.

Lilithmon glared at the group then began to speak with anger growing in her voice "I am perfect, I am gorgeous. Not one living soul can resist me charm or looks. Lust is quiet powerful my dear children. Lust can help get you what you want and I always get what I want."

"Guys…" began Cody looking over to the teams Digital partners who then responded with a quick nod.

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

_Hawkmon Warp Digivolved to… Phoenixmon_

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

_Renamon Warp Digivolved to… Sakuyamon_

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… MetalGarurumon_

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon, Gatomon Digivolved to… Angewomon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon, Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

"My, my… ten against one is unfair isn't it? Well, how about I even the odds?" said Lilithmon as she began to hold out her hands.

"Darkness Love" chanted Lilithmon as a faint pink mist began to surround the team. The group was soon covered with the mist till they could no longer see clearly. Albert's crest began to glow dispelling the mist leaving and granting visibility back to the team.

"Your attack failed" mocked Albert.

"Well I never expected you to fall for it due to your little crest but there are a few of you who felt its affects. Oh boys…" smiled Lilithmon. All the male members of the group, with the exception of Albert, began to walk over to Lilithmon's side. Albert, Michelle, Brandi, Angewomon, Ann, Phoenixmon, Winona, Sakuyamon, Kayla, and Antylamon were left staring spellbound at this site.

"See dear children, I get what I want and I want your friends here to get rid of all of you. Boys… destroy them!" laughed Lilithmon.

"Yes Lilithmon…" chanted the guys in unison using a monotone voice. The guys remained standing while all the hypnotized partners charged toward the group.

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon holding the guys back with her attack.

"I don't want to hurt you guys, Bunny Blades" said Antylamon reluctantly using her attack to hold the attacking Digimon back.

"Girls, run! Well hold them back!" yelled Phoenixmon preparing to attack.

"Figure out a way to break that spell girls" said Angewomon.

"Hey! I'm still here you know!" barked Albert.

"Save it, we know you're still unaffected it's just that the girl guy ratio is low right now" said Winona trying to calm Albert down. Albert just let out a sigh as the group of free Digidestined began to head for a nearby bridge. Before they could even reach the bridge, MachGaogamon destroyed the structure with his giant metal claw.

"Ok… new plan" started Michelle "Looks like we have to stay and fight"

"Come on boys, first one to get rid of them gets a kiss from me" said Lilithmon with a cruel smile growing across her face.

"Terra Force!" said WarGreymon summoning his energy orb.

"Ray of Victory" began UlforceVeedramon as his golden chest plate began to glow.

"Shield of the Just" started Gallantmon aiming his shield as it began to collect energy. The three attacks collected together and launched full force toward the remaining Digidestined.

"Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" said Sakuyamon using her purple energy rings to hold back all three attacks. The attacks were redirected into the sky leaving Sakuyamon in a much weakened state.

"Starlight Explosion" said Phoenixmon beginning to flap her wings gently. A glowing, golden colored powder began to float onto the attacking Digimon. The controlled Digimon appeared to be paralyzing the others giving the other Digidestined time to come up with a plan.

"I can only hold them back for so long with this attack, break Lilithmon's spell quick" struggled Phoenixmon continuing with her attack.

"Well maybe Albert can break the spell with his crest" thought Brandi.

"Maybe… or if we get rid of Lilithmon this all should fade away." added Albert.

"You won't stop Lilithmon" said Cody. Cody, TJ, Javi, and Andrew began approaching the others cracking their knuckles.

"Oh boy" said Winona.

"We can't fight them… can we?" said Michelle.

"You girls can't but I can" put in Albert taking a place in front of the girls.

"Not by yourself Albert" objected Brandi.

"They'll hurt you!" added Kayla.

"Can't let you girls get hurt. I'll hold them off while you guys figure out how to get rid of Lilithmon's spell" said Albert.

"But…" started Brandi

"Just do it and avoid this fight, don't worry I'm stronger than I look." said Albert confidently but deep down inside he knew the truth. "I'm dead, I'm so dead"


	76. Ch 76 A Bond That Can Never Be Broken

_**Ch. 76 A Bond That Can Never Be Broken**_

"We'll make you love Lilithmon" said Cody still hypnotized. Cody charged toward Albert and let out a few punches. Albert dodged each one until one stray punch knocked Albert right across the face. Cody continued with each punch going full strength, Albert taking each blow.

"Albert…" started Brandi.

"I got this… don't worry" stuttered Albert recollecting himself.

"Lilithmon must have what she wants" continued TJ striking Albert with a swift kick to his side.

"We can help you" added Michelle.

"I'm fine, I have them right… where I want them" said Albert breathing heavily.

"We'll give her what she wants" added Javi trying to tackle Albert. Albert quickly moved out of Javi's path only to be hit in his stomach by Andrew's fist Albert fell to the ground holding his stomach in pain.

"Let's let MachGaogamon finish this, he is this one's partner" suggested Andrew.

"I love that idea, Nazar Nail!" yelled Lilithmon leaping into the air and striking Phoenixmon with her decayed claw. Phoenixmon let out a cry of pain and discontinued her attack freeing the hypnotized Digimon. Phoenixmon, Antylamon, Angewomon, and Sakuyamon tried their best to hold back the other Digimon. MachGaogamon flew over the guys and grabbed Albert with one of his hands. MachGaogamon began to squeeze his partner slowly.

"Who wants to be next?" started TJ looking over to the girls.

"Stop this Cody, you're not like this" begged Kayla stepping forward.

"I'll get rid of you first brat" said Cody grabbing Kayla and holding her up in the air using both his hands.

"Knock it off MetalGarurumon!" yelled Michelle. "Can't you see me, don't you recognize me"

MetalGarurumon just glared at Michelle not making any more movements toward her. MetalGarurumon just stood there, gazing at his partner. Michelle remained quiet hoping for something to help save MetalGarurumon

"Lilithmon desires this" objected Javi and Andrew in unison.

"Look deep down guys and tell me you can't see something wrong here" pleaded Brandi.

"Lilithmon wants all this and so she shall get all that she desires" spoke TJ

"TJ, you can get over this spell, you've saved me loads of times, remember" asked Ann trying to break through to TJ.

"Buddy… please stop…" said Albert struggling to get his words out. MachGaogamon still had a dark look deep down in his eyes. "I'm your friend… remember?"

"I only need Lilithmon." retorted MachGaogamon.

"Please… you're my friend… my best friend… just please… stop. Remember your… promise?" said Albert still having the life being drained from him.

"Promise…" started MachGaogamon.

"Yeah… remember?" said Albert feeling the grip on his body loosening.

"I promised to…" began MachGaogamon.

"Big brother stop, please stop. I know that you're strong enough to resist Lilithmon's spell." said Kayla with tears rolling down her face. "You promised to protect others not hurt them"

"Crush then, crush them all you fools!" yelled Lilithmon.

MachGaogamon let out a loud cry that seemed to run throughout the whole domain. Albert could feel the grip tighten around him then loosen then retighten. MachGaogamon didn't know who to believe now. None of the controlled group's members knew what to do anymore.

"I know you can hear me buddy. You can break her spell" said Albert.

"It's hopeless; nothing can break the bond I created. They will be forever enslaved to me" laughed Lilithmon.

"Please MachGaogamon, just give me a sign that my best friend is still in there" begged Albert.

"I… I… Howling Cannon!" bellowed MachGaogamon launching his attack. Lilithmon smiled knowing that MachGaogamon had just destroyed his partner. Before Lilithmon could try anything else, she was blown away by a series of blue rings.

"I'm never leaving your side again Albert, not now, not ever" spoke MachGaogamon gently.

"Thanks buddy…" said Albert weakly as MachGaogamon began to lower his partner to the ground.

"Sis, why are you crying and why am I holding you like this?" asked Cody lowering his sister back to the ground.

"Cody!" yelled Kayla breaking Cody's grip on her body and throwing her arms around her big brother.

"Guys, what happened?" questioned TJ.

"You free!" exclaimed Ann hugging TJ.

"We're free?" said Javi confused.

"It's a long story" sighed Winona.

"Something wrong Michelle?" asked MetalGarurumon tilting his head.

"Nothing, I'm just glad you're back" said Michelle wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Ok, you guys really need to tell us what happened" said Andrew.

"Yeah, everything is a blur up to this point" added Gallantmon.

"Lilithmon just had you guys under a spell but you're all free now" explained Brandi.

"Oh man, Albert what happened to you" said Cody dashing over to Albert who was lying on the ground looking exhausted with many bumps and bruises along his body.

"I decided to play hero again…" laughed Albert weakly.

"Who did this to you?" growled TJ. Albert just turned away not wanting to tell them the truth. Michelle and Brandi decided to tell the otehrs everything up to this point.

"He tried to protect us when you guys wanted to fight us…" explained Brandi.

"So you guys technically beat him up but it's not your fault, its Lilithmon's" added Michelle.

"Then… it's our entire fault…" stated Javi feeling the guilt take over.

"I did this to you?" asked MachGaogamon in dismay.

"Yeah… but you weren't yourself… please don't feel so terrible… you just weren't you" replied Albert.

"Where is she?" growled TJ.

"She's gonna wish she had never been freed from the Destiny Gate" added Cody clenching his fists together.

"Oh she's gonna get it now" added Justimon readying his cannon.

"Looking for me?" asked Lilithmon appearing before the group still wearing her wicked smile.

"You… I swear that we're gonna blast you so hard not even your data will survive" said Javi.

"You did everything my dear children, I just merely suggested that you…" began Lilithmon beginning to look into her mirror, not truly caring about the prior events.

"Why you evil, manipulative, ugly little witch." began Brandi moving forward.

"What did you call me?" asked Lilithmon throwing her mirror to the ground.

"Ugly, you know ugly, repulsive, revolting…" said Michelle joining Brandi.

"These words… I have never been called as such." said Lilithmon. The Demon Lord began to take an attack stance with her deadly claw "I'm gonna enjoy ripping you all to shreds."

"Then have fun fighting this" said Michelle as an orange colored aura formed around her body. Michelle took aim with her Digivice, pointing the device toward Brandi.

"Unlock Affection!"


	77. Ch 77 Guardian Angel

_**Ch. 77 Guardian Angel**_

A beam of orange colored light struck Brandi directly over her tag and crest causing a blue aura to form around her body. Angewomon reverted back to her Salamon form then ran over to Brandi's side. Both Brandi and Salamon could feel this new energy flowing through their bodies.

"Ready to stop this evil witch Salamon?" asked Brandi.

"Let's take her down Brandi" said Salamon with confidence.

_Salamon Warp Digivolved to… Ophanimon_

Ophanimon appear before the group in a bright flash of light. She wore teal colored armor with gold highlighting the edges and features on the armor. Eight golden wings spread out from the back of her armor along with two solid white colored wings for flight. A teal and gold colored shield was attached to her left gauntlet while she held a solid gold lance in her right hand.

"I am Ophanimon, the protector of love and full embodiment of the powers of affection. How can you even hope to atone for all the havoc you have brought onto this world Lilithmon?"

"I want to be the most desired creature in this dying world. I need not ask for forgiveness. I am a Lord here and a Lord I shall remain. Now before we begin our fight, I want to know how you broke my spell." responded Lilithmon.

"There is a bond that we all share with each other and our partners. You could cloud their judgment but you can never destroy that bond. The compassion we feel toward our friends and family leads to…" began Michelle

"… Affection. You see affection as being desired, we see affection as the love that we share with each other. Whether it's the brother sister love Kayla and Cody share, the brother bond TJ and Cody have created, the friendship bond Albert or any of us have with our partners, or the bond of true love, there is nothing that can ever destroy it" finished Brandi.

"That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. There is only a lust for things in this world. My only regret is not seeing your own friends and partners get rid of you all. I guess that one boy getting the life beaten and squeezed out of him will have to suffice." said Lilithmon showing no interest in the injured Digidestined.

"Why you bi…" began TJ until Ann threw her hand over his mouth.

"Not in front of Kayla" snapped Ann though she wanted to yell out the same thing too.

"That's it Lilithmon, the gloves are off. You're never gonna hurt anybody ever again, WarGreymon take her out!" yelled Cody.

"With pleasure, Terra Force" smiled WarGreymon creating another orange orb. He flung the ball of molten energy toward Lilithmon barely missing her. Lilithmon appeared to be disgusted by this onslaught of attacks.

"Come back to my side, Darkness Love!" yelled Lilithmon creating another cloud of pink mist.

"Not this time, Starlight Explosion!" countered Phoenixmon using her golden powder to dispel the evil mist.

"Nazar Nail." said Lilithmon dashing toward Phoenixmon.

"Howling Cannon" bellowed MachGaogamon using his attack to throw Lilithmon off balance and then tumbling across the ground. MachGaogamon flew over to Lilithmon then raise his clenched fist back building up energy.

"This is for what you have done to the Digital World, Winning Knuckle!" cried MachGaogamon slamming his fist directly over Lilithmon. He then pulled back his hand again for another attack.

"This is for making us fight our friends, Winning Knuckle!" yelled MachGaogamon ramming his fist yet again into Lilithmon. He then clenched Lilithmon into his metal palm.

"And this is for make me hurt my partner, Ophanimon!" yelled MachGaogamon throwing Lilithmon into the air. The Demon Lord had to time to reach as she was recovering from the previous attacks.

"Thanks MachGaogamon, Eden's Javelin" cried Ophanimon throwing her lance toward Lilithmon. The lance began to glow as it flew toward Lilithmon. The lance pierced straight through Lilithmon leaving a golden trail in its path.

"Shield of the Just" yelled Gallantmon creating his attack.

"Ray of Victory" shouted UlforceVeedramon beginning his attack.

"Justice Burst" said Justimon, adding to the attack onslaught.

"Terra Force!" finished WarGreymon. The combined power of the attacks obliterated Lilithmon to say the least. Only a trickle of data could be seen flying upward to the sky. With the Demon Lords demise came the crumbling of the Sky Domain. The Digidestined were quickly scoped up by their partners then taken to the Serenity Domain so to get Albert some much needed help.

--

"Lilithmon, though you are now gone your power just adds to the gate. Lust, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, Wrath, and Envy… you all will not be forgotten. You essence only fuels the true power behind this gate. If only I knew the secrets to Chaos then my utopia could be born." Lucemon gazed up at the Destiny Gate, only two symbols remained unlit.

"I was created to rebuild and rule the Digital World. I intend to fulfill my life's purpose. All that stands in my way are those annoying Digidestined."

--

"Oh my, the Demon Lords are restoring to some nasty tricks aren't they?" spoke Wizardmon.

The group returned to the Serenity Domain then took Albert straight to Wizardmon. Wizardmon then lead them to a small cabin that contained a bed for Albert to rest in for a bit. Wizardmon held out his hands over Albert as he laid sleeping on the soft bed. A light green aura was encircling Albert as his injuries were slowly being healed.

"Yeah they are. I can only imagine what the final one has in store" said Ann.

"Whatever it is we'll have to be ready" spoke TJ.

Wizardmon finished with his spell then placed his hands at his side. "There we go, that's all I can do. You all should give him time to rest up a bit before you go home. I also suggest that you all get some rest before you come back to the Digital World and take on Lucemon. Lucemon will be the most powerful of the Demon Lord"

"Sounds like a plan. We all could use a bit of a break" said Andrew.

"Then we can come back and fry the last Demon Lord" added Agumon.

"Yes, for now let us give Albert some time to rest" said Wizardmon leading the group out of the cabin. Gaomon remained by his partners side, not wavering for a second.

"I'm so sorry, I never thought I'd hurt you. Not after I promised to always protect you" said Gaomon still beating himself up over the past events.

"You and me both Gaomon" spoke Cody as he and TJ reentered the room.

"I'm so mad at myself, how could I have let myself be taken in like that?" said Cody ramming his fist into the wall. The impact actually caused the room to shake for a bit.

"We all were, I can't believe the Demon Lord would stoop this low" growled TJ.

"I really hurt Albert and almost did the same to my sister. I hate myself right now" said Cody.

"Don't beat yourself up over what happened. It's not your fault" said Albert weakly.

"It is my fault; I'm supposed to be the leader. I'm supposed to protect everybody else before myself yet I'm the one who did this to you." frowned Cody.

"Well it was more of a joint effort but still it's not your fault. Nobody blames you guys. I just had to be the brave one in that situation and protect the girls. You've taken a few blows to in this world" said Albert.

"Still though, I made a promise to you and Kayla then broke it today. What kind of a friend or brother am I for letting this happen?" said Cody.

"You're a great leader, friend, and brother. If it wasn't for you or TJ, I'd never be this brave. I knew I was gonna get beaten to a pulp but I still stood up to you guys." said Albert trying to make Cody feel better.

"So we are rubbing off on you. Guess that make us three bros for life" said TJ with a smile.

Cody couldn't help but smirk a little "Bros for life"

They both turned to Albert who began to sit up with some help from Gaomon "Bros for life"


	78. Ch 78 The Final Domain

_**Ch. 78 The Final Domain**_

The Digidestined spent the following week resting and preparing for what they believed would be their last Demon Lord battle. Once Saturday had arrived, the team met at the lake and prepared for their journey. The Digidestined opened the Digiport and were then transferred to the Serenity Domain. Wizardmon was the first to meet the team followed by Leomon.

"So, you children are ready to face Lucemon?" asked Leomon.

"Yeah, we're ready" said Cody confidently.

"He'll be mincemeat once were through with him" added Agumon clenching his claws together.

"Good to see that you all are confident for this battle. Remember, Lucemon is the leader of the Demon Lords so he won't be easy to defeat." said Wizardmon.

"The odds are working for us so far, eight of us can go mega already" pointed out Monodramon.

"And once me and Albert have our hearts unlocked, all ten of our partners can go to that level" said Kayla.

"So the question now is who'll be the first" said Gaomon looking at the pair.

"we can figure that out later but for now let's head on out" said TJ.

"Right" said the whole team together. The group began make their way toward the train station Locomon was located at until a large explosion was heard from behind the group. Several of the cabins were destroyed as the domain began to become engulfed in smoke. Several more loud explosions were heard followed by the sound of some unknown creatures letting out a loud cry.

"What was that?" said Brandi.

"That would be them" said Javi pointing into the sky. Several large Digimon appeared in the sky resembling Megadramon except now in a grey color. Their wings were made out of metal and a pair of glowing yellow eyes showing beneath their chrome helmets.

"More Megadramon?" said Michelle.

"No, those are Gigadramon" said Albert reading the data off his D-Dex "They're like the digital twins to Megadramon with the same Darkside Attack but are influenced by a virus."

"Then let's get to work" said Cody grasping his Digivice.

"No children, we'll handle this fight." said Leomon taking an attack stance.

"You children must get to the Ruin Domain and end Lucemon's reign of terror once and for all" added Wizardmon taking aim at the evil Digimon with his wand.

"But…" began Brandi.

"Go. We can handle them" said Leomon.

"Ok… Good luck" said Andrew. The Digidestined began to run toward the train station while Leomon and Wizardmon began their fight against the Gigadramon. Once inside the station, the children found Locomon letting a loud yawn and looking a bit irritated.

"What's with all the racket out there?" asked Locomon.

"No time, just go" said Cody quickly letting the team board the train car then entering the train cabin himself along with Agumon.

"Alright… I think" said Locomon pulling out of the station and beginning his trip. The Digidestined sunk into the train cars various seats and let out a sigh of relief for escaping the Gigadramon.

"Looks like Lucemon has been waiting for us" sighed Winona.

"And he sent a welcoming party for us" added Ann sarcastically.

"Can't let that slow us down" smiled Hawkmon.

"Oh no, hang on kids" shouted Locomon suddenly.

"What? Why?" said Guilmon looking out of the train car window before letting out a loud gulp.

"What's wrong?" asked Andrew joining his partner "Guys we have a situation"

"There are more of them?" said Cody looking out the window and seeing several Gigadramon flying toward Locomon. The Gigadramon held out their arm cannons and began to let out a flurry of dark purple orbs raining onto the train tracks. The train car began to rumble and shake as the attacks collided with the tracks below.

"A plan would be nice right now" said Winona.

"Looks like we're just gonna have to fight our way through" said Renamon.

"Or we can plow through right through them" said Locomon with a humorous tone in his voice.

"And you're gonna do that how?" questioned Brandi.

"Like this" began Locomon. The Digidestined fell silent for a moment before a sudden jerk in speed caused them all to topple onto the train car's floor. The speed of the train increased faster and faster. The team just remained on the floor not knowing what was going on. Once the train car stopped, the team recollected themselves and looked out the window. The team had arrived at the final domain housing Lucemon. Each Digidestined began to exit the train car still a little dazed from the buppy ride.

"How did you do that Locomon… whoa…" said Javi spell bound.

"I Digivolve and its GranLocomon now" said the Digimon. GranLocomon had a longer body with armor in darker blue color, his engines and various mechanized parts in a dark grey colored back. Pieces of yellow metal highlighted the edges of his body and he now held a large wheel with many spikes before him.

"You can Digivolve?" asked Lopmon.

"Yes, I am a Digimon remember? I never needed to Digivolved up until now. You kids need to head for Lucemon's hideout. I'll work on keeping the Gigadramon back then go check on Leomon and Wizardmon" spoke GranLocomon.

"Alright, be careful out there" said Salamon. GranLocomon began to pullout of the train station leaving the Digidestined to face the next Demon Lord. As the team exited the station, they found the whole building to be made out of black stones with the words RUIN STATION imprinted in gold above the station.

"So this is the Ruin Domain" said Gabumon examining his surroundings.

"Yeah… not much to it though" added Veemon. The whole domain was filled with small, broken structures floating above a dark abyss. Only one loan path stretched out toward a massive church in the distance colored a solid white.

"That must be where Lucemon is" examined Agumon.

"Must be, you guys ready?" asked Cody turning to his team. Each member of the Digidestined gave a confident nod as he looked over to each of them. Cody then returned the gesture and began leading the team toward the distant church. After traveling for short period of time, the group reached the great structure. The church was solid white with various pillars, arches, and towers making up the exterior of the building. Cody and TJ found a set of large double doors then proceeded to open them.

"I know this is a church but it feels so evil" said Brandi shuttering.

The walls of the church were filled with various stained glass windows depicting each of the previously defeated Demon Lords. A larger mural displaying Lucemon looking glorified in a beam of light was situated in the front of the church.

"Congratulations Digidestined, I must commend you for making it this far" spoke Lucemon clapping his hands while slowly floating down to the ground. Lucemon wore an evil smile as he overlooked the Digidestined, the group only glaring at Lucemon.

"My, my… aren't we serious today" said Lucemon coolly.

"You know, you can make this easy on yourself and give up now" spoke Cody suddenly.

"I see the confidence flowing through you. What pride you have in yourself but I will tell you now, it will be your downfall" laughed Lucemon.

"It's gonna be your downfall!" shouted Agumon.

"Children… children…. children. You all believe and hope that peace will finally return to this world, but, what you fail to see that I have already brought this to the Digital World. Peace has returned to the Digital World only everything must come through me first. Once I unlock the power of the Destiny Gate, I will bring that same harmony to your world creating the ultimate utopia for Digimon and humans alike" laughed Lucemon. The entire building began to fade away around the Digidestined leaving them on a lone floating island with their partners by their sides

"Now then… who will be first to fall before my hands" beckoned Lucemon at one end of the island.

"Let's end this!" yelled Cody.

"Digivolved" chimed in the group altogether.


	79. Ch 79 Two Hearts, One Light

_**Ch. 79 Two Hearts, One Light**_

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… MetalGarurumon_

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

_Hawkmon Warp Digivolved to… Phoenixmon_

_Renamon Warp Digivolved to… Sakuyamon_

_Salamon Warp Digivolved to… Ophanimon_

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon, Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon, Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

"Well… well… well… you kids have come far since you first began haven't you?" said Lucemon casually.

"Yeah we have" replied Cody with pride.

"Yes, time and time again you Digidestined have overcome many obstacles in the Digital World. Unfortunately all that work will have been for nothing once I'm finished destroying you all." continued Lucemon.

"Come and try it" challenged WarGreymon

"With pleasure, Paradise Lost Punch!" said Lucemon charging forward swinging his fist. WarGreymon quickly blocked the attack with his hands only to find himself being thrown across the massive battle field.

"Ulforce Saber!" yelled UlforceVeedramon summoning his teal colored saber and running toward Lucemon.

"Let me help you, Voltage Blade" added Justimon joining UlforceVeedramon. The Digimon pair attacked Lucemon at once. Lucemon dodged each attack with ease before delivering a swift punch onto both Digimon and knocking them across the floor.

"Pathetic" grunted Lucemon

"Try this one on for size, Ice Wolf Bite" cried MetalGarurumon launching his barrage of missiles onto Lucemon. Each missile hit their mark encasing Lucemon inside a solid block of ice.

"Allow me to continue, Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" chanted Sakuyamon waving her staff gently and creating two rings of purple energy. The two rings collided with the frozen Demon Lord shattering the ice and knocking Lucemon back a few steps.

"Are you done warming up yet?" asked Lucemon wearing a wicked smile.

"I'll show you warming up, Crimson Flame" bellowed Phoenixmon sending her flames and showering Lucemon with the attack. Lucemon walked straight through the flames unharmed.

"Lightning Joust" cried Gallantmon charging with his lance as a current built up on the weapon.

"Eden's Javelin" added Ophanimon joining Gallantmon in his attack. The two attacked Lucemon relentlessly before being thrown onto the edges of the field by one swift hit from Lucemon's Paradise Lost Punch attack.

"That tactic already failed once" spoke Lucemon.

"Winning Knuckle" yelled MachGaogamon attacking Lucemon with his mighty knuckle. Lucemon met MachGaogamon's punch with an attack of his own. The impact from the two punches sent MachGaogamon crashing into the ground and Lucemon still standing unfazed.

"That the best you can do?" asked Lucemon

"Bunny Blades" said Antylamon throwing her crescent blades onto Lucemon. Lucemon batted away each glowing pink blade while letting out a yawn.

"I was expecting more of a challenge from the Digidestined" laughed Lucemon.

"Man this guys it tough" growled TJ.

"And he's only at the Ultimate level" spoke Winona nervously reading Lucemon's data off her D-Dex.

"That's his Ultimate level?" said Javi, apparently shocked.

"Yeah, Lucemon is in his Ultimate form right now, it says here that even in his rookie form, Lucemon is still just as strong as a mega" continued Albert reading his D-Dex screen.

"Think I see why he's the leader" gulped Ann.

"Brandi, figuring out whose crest to unlock next would kinda be helpful right now" said Michelle.

"But I haven't figured out whose crest is linked to mine." retorted Brandi.

"You have a fifty-fifty shot right now" said Andrew.

"Paradise Lost Punch!" said Lucemon knocking Antylamon on to the ground. Antylamon began rolling toward Kayla as she reverted back to her Lopmon form.

"You ok Lopmon?" asked Kayla, worried.

"I think so… tell me when everything stops spinning" replied Lopmon dazed.

"It must be Albert next cause if Kayla's crest was unlocked then he would be left out of the circle" reasoned Winona.

"Yeah that must be it, you ready Albert?" asked Brandi holding up her Digivice.

"But the two crests don't go well together. Affection and Virtue are more alike." said Albert suddenly.

"Think of something quick guys!" yelled Cody watching the battle before him. The teams' partners, with the exception of Lopmon, were being knocked around the field by Lucemon's attacks. The Digimon team was then thrown onto the center of the battle field as Lucemon flew above.

"This has been fun I must say but the tie for these games to end" said Lucemon holding out his arms. Two orbs appeared in his palms, one glowing with a beautiful white radiance and the other glowing with a grim, bleak light.

"This will start things off…" began Lucemon dropping the white orb. The orb grew in size as it descended to the ground then engulfed the entire Digimon team. The Digimon partners were floating aimlessly in the white orb trying to find a way to escape the attack.

"Brandi, unlock Albert's crest already!" yelled TJ.

"We could use the help already" added Javi.

"It is the only logical choice" finished Winona.

"Brandi, trust me on this one, Kayla is next in line. You can see that my crest was never meant to be unlocked. No one crest can unlock my crest alone. Yours and Kayla's crests are linked, just think about t" said Albert sternly.

"Well if affection means caring for something then that means you should always have a virtuous heart for that one thing to always cherish it. Then again love is pure which means it can be linked to purity but if you really think about it…" said Brandi trying to reason things out.

"Hurry up and pick one" yelled the whole group together.

Albert and Kayla, with Lopmon in her arms, stood before Brandi giving her a clear shot with her Digivice. Brandi closed her eyes as a blue aura formed around her body. Brandi kept running each possibility in her head.

"… and this will end it, Ultimate Sacrifice" laughed Lucemon dropping the black orb. The orb began to float down toward the giant white orb.

"I hope this works… Unlock…"


	80. Ch 80 Together As One

_**Ch. 80 Together As One**_

"Unlock Virtue!" yelled Brandi finally aiming at Kayla. A beam of blue colored light stuck Kayla right over her tag and crest causing a pink aura to form around her body. Lopmon quickly leapt down to the ground and stood next to Kayla feeling a new power rushing through her body.

"I didn't think this power would feel so warm. You ready to give this fight another shot Lopmon?" asked Kayla.

"Ready Kayla" spoke Lopmon gently.

"Your too late this attack will delete your partners permanently!" cried Lucemon as the black orb grew closer and closer to the white orb

_Lopmon Warp Digivolved to… Cherubimon_

"Lightning Spear!" cried a heavenly voice. A bolt of lightning pierced straight through the black orb, destroying it. The white orb began to fade dropping the other Digimon partners onto the ground with a loud thud.

"Whoa…" said Kayla looking up at her new partner.

Cherubimon resembled a giant rabbit covered with pink and white fur. Her massive ears extended high into the sky along with her arms extended out toward her sides. The great Digimon wore two golden rings on her ears and a jester like collar around her neck. The appearance of this Digimon gave a soothing feeling around this dark and desolate place.

"I am Cherubimon, the embodiment of the true powers of Virtue. Lucemon, you and your cohorts have brought so much chaos onto this world in order to fulfill your twisted desires. This will be the day that you draw your last breath and this will be the day that peace finally returns to the Digital World"

"Ha, you dare mock me and my plans? I was chosen from the beginning of the Digital World's creation to build the perfect utopia. I was the all powerful being until the Digimon Sovereigns sealed me and the other Demon Lords away. Their desire for peace and harmony over shadowed my idea of total conquest for both this world and the human world. I suppose each sovereign will have plenty of time to rethink things seeing as how they were all sealed away" laughed Lucemon.

"They're what?" asked Cherubimon in shock.

"Sealed away deep inside the Digital World, I saw to that personally." spoke Lucemon with a grin growing on his face.

"Digimon Sovereigns?" said Winona confused.

"No data on them in the D-Dex" spoke Andrew looking through his device thoroughly.

"It is on no concern to you children seeing as how you'll all be destroyed, Ultimate Sacrifice!" yelled Lucemon summoning his two orbs and hurling them both toward the Digidestined team.

"Terra Force!" yelled WarGreymon launching his molten attack. The attack collided with both orbs destroying them both at once.

"What, you're all still standing?" asked Lucemon, surprised.

"Gonna take a lot more than what you did to defeat us" mocked WarGreymon.

"So be it, Paradise Lost Punch!" bellowed Lucemon flying toward WarGreymon at a rapid speed.

"Shield of the Just!" yelled Gallantmon stepping in front of WarGreymon and holding up his shield.

"Ray of Victory" added UlforceVeedramon joining Gallantmon.

"Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" said Sakuyamon adding to the attack power.

"Metal Wolf Claw" concluded MetalGarurumon adding his own attack into the mix. All four powerful attacks combined into one blowing Lucemon out of the sky and onto the ground.

"Eden's Javelin" said Ophanimon throwing her golden weapon toward Lucemon. The javelin pierced straight throw one of Lucemon's wings causing the Demon Lord to cry out in agony.

"Crimson Flame" bellowed Phoenixmon causing her great fires to engulf Lucemon. Lucemon regained his ground, breathing heavily as he glared at the team.

"Why you little brats, nothing can hurt me. I'm the true Lord of the Digital World!"

"Give it a rest already Justice Burst" said Justimon shooting the crazed Demon Lord with his arm cannon. Lucemon stumbled back a few steps trying to regain his footing.

"You'll never rule this world, Howling Cannon" bellowed MachGaogamon sending the Demon Lord flying into the sky.

"Time for peace to finally return to the Digital World, Storm of Judgment" cried Cherubimon as she held her hands into the air. Many dark grey clouds began to form in the sky above, slowly creating a ring like appearance. One bolt of lightning struck Lucemon followed by another. Lucemon was struck time and time again before finally falling onto the ground and beginning to fade into bits of data.

"At that ends it you big meanie!" yelled Kayla.

"Wow, first I've heard you use that tone of voice Kayla" laughed Cody.

"Your big brother must be rubbing off on you" smiled Ann.

"That may be a bad thing you know" sighed TJ before letting out a smile.

"Sorry you didn't get to have your crest unlocked Albert." said Brandi.

"Yeah, that must be a bummer being left out of the circle" frowned Michelle

"It's alright, looks like my crest's true power wasn't fully needed." responded Albert with a smile.

"Going mega is over rated anyways" said Andrew.

"Well I always thought it was gre…" began Javi.

"No comments from the peanut gallery" said Winona covering Javi's mouth before he could finish his sentence. The Digidestined team began to laugh along with their partners at this sight.

"Foolish Digidestined, you have yet to see my true power"

The group stopped their laugher then turned to see Lucemon rising off the ground and glaring at the team. The Demon Lord's data was still fading away despite his rising. Eight symbols began to appear on each of Lucemon's wings, each glowing in a different color. Lucemon began to slowly ascend into the air.

"Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Lust, Pride, Chaos… join with me. Give me strength to obliterate these fools once and for all. Help me fulfill my true destiny!" bellowed Lucemon. Lucemon's body was soon swallowed by stream of darkness emerging from the ground below. A grotesque, dragon like creature appeared from the stream carrying a solid black orb in its claws. Seven massive wings appeared from the creature's back bearing each of the seven Demon Lord's crest on their tips. An eighth crest appeared on the dragon's forehead on top of a golden colored mask.

"Is that Lucemon?" asked Ann gazing up at the massive beast.

"Yeah but that's his Shadow Lord Mode. In other words, that would be his mega form." answered Winona reading her D-Dex.

"It took all our strength just to beat his ultimate form, how are we gonna take out his mega form" said Javi.

"We'll just have to keep on fighting till we find a way" spoke TJ confidently.

"All of us together as one…" said Cody holding out his Digivice and aiming it toward Albert. A red aura began to form around his body.

"What are you doing" asked Michelle.

"Albert said it himself 'No one crest can unlock my crest alone' so I say we use all of our crests together and unlock his crests power" answered Cody.

"Will it work?" questioned Andrew.

"Won't know until we try" said Brandi aiming her Digivice.

MachGaogamon returned to his Gaomon form then took a spot by Albert's side as they stood before the team. The Digidestined began to hold out heir Digivices while aiming for Albert's tag and crest, their colored auras beginning to form. Albert gave a quick nod to show that he was ready for them to begin. The group cried together in unison while a rainbow of colored lights entered Albert's tag and crest.

"Unlock Purity!"


	81. Ch 81 Broken Seal

_**Ch. 81 Broken Seal**_

All the Digidestine's light's struck Albert right over his tag and crest causing a white aura to form around his body. Both him and his partner could feel this surge of power flow through their veins.

"Ready to do this buddy?" asked Albert looking at Gaomon.

"Ready" confirmed Gaomon confidently

_Gaomon Warp Digivolved to… MirageGaogamon_

MirageGaogamon appeared in a bright flash of white light. The Digimon's size was about the same as MachGaogamon except now his body was covered with blue colored, chrome armor. The gauntlets on his arms had three blades resembling claws emerging from them and bore a helmet that looked like the head of a wolf. The great knight Digimon had a long red cap flowing behind him along with a small blue strap looking like a tail.

"I am MirageGaogamon, the embodiment of the true power of purity. You, Lucemon have lead a savage assault onto the Digital World leaving nothing but sorrow and pain. Your sick desires to rule both the Digital World and Human World end here and now"

The great dragon only let out a loud roar followed by a sinister voice echoing around the Digidestined. "Foolish Digidestined, this form has combined all the powers of the Demon Lord's together as one. With it, I can finally open the gateway to the human world"

The evil dragon looked up into the dark skies above then let out a thunderous roar. A stream of dark energy shot into the sky as all the Demon Lord's seals began to glow along Lucemon's wings. The attack began to distort the sky above, twisting the very fabric of the Ruin Domain. An object began to appear then grow and grow in the sky. The Digidestined watched n shock as the Destiny Gate appeared high in the sky over head. Lucemon let out an evil laugh once the gate had fully appeared.

"You see children, I have already created the gate, now, watch as I release the seal of chaos and enter the human world"

"That's not gonna happen; you're going down right here, right now. WarGreymon!" yelled Cody.

"Right, you guys with me?" asked WarGreymon looking at his fellow Digimon.

"Till the end" said all the other Digimon together. The whole team charged toward Lucemon's Shadow Lord Mode with no intent of losing this battle.

"You dare stand against me, Tide of Despair!" cried Lucemon. The dragon opened his massive jaws and released a stream of black flames straight toward the Digimon partners.

"Shield of the Just" cried Gallantmon using his shield attack to hold back Lucemon's attack. The two attacks nullified themselves by creating a huge explosion.

"Man that attack was strong. Took all my strength to hold it back" panted Gallantmon.

"You fools, Tide of Despair!" said Lucemon creating another stream of dark flames.

"Crimson Flame" yelled Phoenixmon holding back the flames with her own glowing red fires.

"Allow me, Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" chanted Sakuyamon using her purple rings to strike Lucemon. The sinister dragon only shrugged off the attack then let out another loud cry.

"That didn't even scratch him" observed Winona.

"Bet this will leave a mark, Ray of Victory" began UlforceVeedramon starting his attack. The golden beam blasted toward the massive dragon, striking it on its right side.

"Sefirot Crystals" said Ophanimon holding out her hands. Ten clear crystals appeared before her then were launched toward Lucemon. All ten crystals collided directly on Lucemon's left side.

"Justice Burst!" yelled Justimon shooting Lucemon along his back.

"Terra Force!" added WarGreymon summoning his attack then throwing the massive glowing orb toward Lucemon's head. Each attack struck the dragon at full strength. Lucemon appeared from the aftermath of the barrage of attack appearing unfazed.

"Why do you fight children? There is no hope of winning. The gate has already be set and is ready to finally be open"

"There is always hope. We can beat you" barked Ann.

"Ice Wolf Bite!" bellowed MetalGarurumon launching his missile attack. Each missile struck Lucemon freezing the massive dragon in ice.

"Lightning Spear!" yelled Cherubimon creating a bolt of electricity in his hand then hurling the spear toward Lucemon. The spear collided with Lucemon shattering the ice, Lucemon still remained unaffected by the two attacks.

"Let me try, Double Crescent Barrage!" yelled MirageGaogamon. The tips of his claws began to glow in a solid white color. MirageGaogamon made two swipes with his claws hurling several crescent shaped energy blades toward Lucemon. The glowing white blades struck each of Lucemon's wings causing the great dragon to cry out in pain.

"That worked" spoke Albert.

"I have had enough of this foolishness. Annihilation Maelstrom!" screamed Lucemon. All the Demon Lord seals began to glow giving out a malicious light. Eight beams of light shot off from each seal striking each Digital Partner one by one. The end of the attack left all the team's partners seriously injured on the ground below Lucemon.

"Now with you all out of the way I can finally open the Destiny Gate and take over the human world. Seals of Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Lust and Pride, release!" spoke Lucemon. The seals on the gate above began to glow one by one as Lucemon called them by name.

"Now, Seal of Chaos… release!" cried Lucemon letting out his evil laugh. The Digidestined looked up into the gate to see the final seal remaining unlit.

"What is this? Why won't the final seal release? I created so much chaos and destruction to give you strength. Why will you not release?" questioned Lucemon. The evil Digimon turned to see the Digidestined below then charged straight for them. "You children must be the problem. Well then, once I kill you all, the seal will be released!"

"Mega Claw!" cried WarGreymon striking the dragon's directly on its head with his cyclone attack. The dragon discontinued his attack then retook a position before the group. A bright red aura was surrounding WarGreymon along with the same colored aura forming around Cody. All the team's Digimon partners had their colored auras forming around them in their respective colors as with their human partners.

"Guys, what's going on?" asked TJ.

"Your crests are giving us strength just as the Demon Lord Seals are doing from Lucemon's Shadow Lord Mode" answered UlforceVeedramon.

"That means that we can still win this" cheered Brandi.

"Yeah but how?" questioned Andrew.

"When MirageGaogamon attacked Lucemon's wings, Lucemon actually let out a cry in pain" said Michelle.

"So that must be his weak point" added Javi.

"I think that orb has something to do with all this too" spoke Albert.

"What? Why?" asked Winona.

"The dragon only attacks a few seconds after the attack is called out. Plus, if you listen to the sound the dragon makes when it roars and the voice that speaks to us, they're entirely different tones. Something is controlling the dragon like a puppet" answered Albert.

"Think Lucemon's real form is in that orb?" asked Kayla.

"Sounds like a good theory to me." said Cody.

"You heard'em guys, attack the wings and that black orb the dragon is holding" instructed WarGreymon.

"Right!" said the other partners together.

"Fools, your efforts are in vain" mocked Lucemon.

"We'll see about that, get him guys!" yelled Cody.


	82. Ch 82 Return

_**Ch. 82 Return**_

"Voltage Blade" cried Justimon leaping into the air with his glowing blue blade. Justimon struck one of Lucemon's wings then returned back to the ground. The wing Justimon attack disappeared into tiny bits of data.

"Seal of Gluttony is gone now guys" said Justimon.

"Good work buddy" congratulated Javi.

"Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" chanted Sakuyamon destroying another one of Lucemon's wings with her rings. "The Seal of Greed has been dispelled"

"Nice work" said Winona.

"Eden's Javelin" spoke Ophanimon throwing her golden lance and taking out another on of Lucemon's wings. "Consider the Seal of Lust gone"

"Alright Ophanimon" smiled Brandi.

"How… how can you be harming me?" cried Lucemon in pain.

"Crimson Flame" yelled Phoenixmon using her searing hot flames to delete another one of the dragon's large wings "Seal of Sloth has been deleted everyone"

"Keep it up everybody" encouraged Ann.

"Metal Wolf Claw" bellowed MetalGarurumon using his blue energy beam attack to finish off another wing. "Seal of Wrath is now history"

"Great work" said Michelle.

"Ulforce Saber" spoke UlforceVeedramon using his glowing teal blade to slash through another one of Lucemon's wings "Seal of Greed is finished"

"Alright UlforceVeedramon" spoke TJ.

"No, I will not be defeated like this"

"Lightning Joust" cried Gallantmon using the electricity from his lance to pierce straight through another one of the wings "Seal of Pride is done"

"Great work buddy" said Andrew.

"Terra Force!" bellowed WarGreymon creating his orange orb then ramming the orb right into Lucemon's forehead. The orb shattered the golden mask on Lucemon's head leaving the dragon crying in pain."The Seal of Chaos will never be lit now"

"And that end it" said Cody.

"No, this isn't over!" cried Lucemon. The dragon form began to break away into bits of data leaving the black orb floating in the sky. The orb began to open revealing another Digimon inside. The Digimon flew out of the orb then held a position before the group. The Digimon resembled a bug of sorts with a white body, purple front, ten yellow wings, and a set of glowing red eyes. A red orb was glowing directly on the Digimon's chest along with a blue ring hovering on the Digimon's end.

"Eww… that's that thing?" asked Ann in disgust.

"Lucemon Larva, it's the true form of Lucemon and controls his Shadow Lord form like a puppet. Looks like you were right Albert" said Winona reading the data off her D-Dex.

"You Digidestined will not stop me, I'll get through that gate even if I have to ram straight through it!" yelled Lucemon's new form. The insect like Digimon dashed toward the Destiny Gate going at full speed.

"Stop him Cherubimon!" cried Kayla.

"Oh no you don't, Storm of Judgment!" bellowed Cherubimon holding out her hands. Multiple bolts of lightning struck Lucemon causing the Digimon to stop mid flight. Lucemon turned to face the Digidestined then charged for them.

"That's it; I'll take you all out first then go through the gate, Parasite Stinger!"

"This will end everything, Full Moon Blaster!" yelled MirageGaogamon. The chest plate MirageGaogamon was wearing opened up, revealing a large metal cannon. The cannon began to collect energy before firing a beam of pure white energy toward Lucemon. Lucemon took the full force of the attack before being finally deleted into nothing but small bits of data.

"And that ends that" said Albert with a sigh of relief.

"So is Lucemon…" began Cody.

"I don't sense anything dark presence here anymore. What about you Kayla?" asked Albert.

"Nope, nothing" replied Kayla shaking her head.

"Then that means" started TJ with a smile growing across his face.

"Lucemon and any other darkness has finally left Digital World" said Albert smiling.

The team was about to begin their celebration until the whole area began to shake and fade into bits of data. The team quickly climbed onto their partners then flew into the sky toward the Destiny Gate and away from the fading Ruin Domain.

"So what's gonna happen to the Digital World now that the Demon Lords are gone?" questioned Ann.

"It'll probably reconfigure itself recreating the Digital World back to how it was originally" answered Andrew. The team looked down to see nothing but a black abyss below them. The abyss was all that remained of the Digital World.

"I wonder how Leomon, Wizardmon, and GranLocomon are doing. We never heard from them since we started the fight with Lucemon." said Brandi.

"We should go check on them" suggested Winona.

The team agreed on the idea and began to head for the Serenity Domain. The team was startled by a loud rumbling sound followed by the sound of some creature moaning. Several streams of dark energy shot out from the dark abyss and flowed into the sky.

"I thought we were done" said Michelle gripping MetalGarurumon even tighter.

"Apparently not" barked Javi.

"Guys our crests!" yelled Cody pointing to his tag and crest. Cody's tag and crest were glowing with a red light along with the other Digidestine's in their respective colors.

"Forget about them, look at the gate" said TJ pointing to the Destiny Gate. The crest symbols were glowing along the outer ring of the Destiny Gate. The center of the gate began to slowly open revealing a bright white light. The more the gate opened, the more the light grew and grew. The streams of darkness seemed to avoid this light as it flowed around the structure.

"What's happening!" yelled Brandi.

"Who knows, the same thing happened with VenomMyotismon. Maybe the gate is sealing away the darkness" said Albert.

"Cody!" screamed Kayla.

"Right here sis, everything will be ok. Just stay close to me" assured Cody grabbing Kayla's hand while moving onto Cherubimon's back where Kayla was standing. Kayla wrapped her arms around her big brother fearing for the worst. The light grew so bright that the Digidestined had to shield their eyes. The light grew more and more from behind the gate until everything went dark for the Digidestined team.

--

Cody began to slowly open his eyes. He could feel the hard ground below him and a cool evening breeze blowing past him. Cody could feel something gripping his hand. He turned to see Kayla unconscious by his side still gripping holding on though her grip was a bit weak now. Cody sat up and could see all the Digidestined around him, totally knocked out.

"Hey Kayla, wake up" said Cody gently nudging his sister.

Kayla slowly opened his eyes and sat up looking sleepy "What happened?"

"No idea, guys wake up!" yelled Cody.

"Not now mom… five more minutes" groaned Javi trying to stay asleep. Once the team had fully awakened, they stood together in the usual fashion by the lake side.

"Are we in the human world or the Digital World?" asked Brandi.

"Human, my laptop is right there" said Winona pointing to her laptop on a nearby stump.

"What about our partners? Where are they?" asked Ann worriedly.

"Well, maybe the gate sent us home but left them back in the Digital World. If all the evil is gone from the Digital World then they really don't need us anymore to help them" thought Andrew.

"So want your saying is, now that we have fulfilled our purpose, there's no real reason for us to be together anymore?" asked TJ.

"We didn't even get to say good bye" frowned Michelle.

"I know, it's not really… hey! I still have my Digivice, tag and crest" said Albert holding out the items. The other Digidestined did the same holding out the items.

"Hey sleepy heads!" echoed a familiar voice.

"Agumon!" exclaimed Cody.

"You guys were having such a nice nap, we didn't want to wake you" smiled Lopmon waking over to Kayla.

"We thought you guys were sent back to the Digital World" said Ann.

"Nope the gate sent all of us through safely, you guys just fell asleep during the process" said Hawkmon.

"Think of it as the extreme version on the Digiport" laughed Monodramon.

"Well guys… we beat the Demon Lords, saved the Digital World, and are now back home safely. I think we should celebrate" smiled TJ.

"Yeah, it's time to party!" cheered Veemon.

The Digidestined and their partners laughed and congratulated each other on a job well done. Their work seemingly finished in the Digital World for good.

--

_First I created NeoDevimon to stop those brats. He failed. Then I created Myotismon. He lost. Then I gave that fool more power to become VenomMyotismon. He too, failed me. After him, I gave birth to the Demon Lords. All seven fell before those blasted Digidestined. However, I should be glad that those brats opened the Destiny Gate for me. Now arise my greatest creations, you four born from the purest darkness, arise. It is time we take this battle to their world_


	83. Ch 83 The Circus Comes to Town

_**Ch 83 The Circus Comes to Town**_

"Come on… Digiport Open" said Cody holding his Digivice to the laptop screen. The Digidestined had met at the lake after a few days since their battle with Lucemon. It was in the evening when they met and were currently trying to open a Digiport. Though Winona had set up her laptop as always, the Digiport would not open.

"I don't get it. Why won't the Digiport open?" asked Agumon.

"Maybe the Digital World still needs time to fix itself" suggested Veemon.

"That could be possible" put in Renamon.

"It was in pretty bad shape when we left" added Hawkmon.

"Guess we won't be visiting that place for awhile" frowned Monodramon.

"Looks like it" said Gaomon.

"What are we gonna do until if we can't find a way to fix this?" asked Salamon.

"We'll think of something, in the mean time let's just enjoy our time off" smiled Brandi.

"Yeah, that means more time for us to play here" cheered Guilmon

"That's true" said Andrew.

"Yeah, we should all do something together and enjoy ourselves, but what should we do?" spoke Ann.

"Well… there's this big carnival coming into town tomorrow. It's supposed to have a bunch of things like a parade and a circus" suggested Michelle.

"I never heard about that." said Albert.

"It was just announced yesterday evening. The city is even having a big picnic at the park for it and everything" added Michelle.

"That settles it, we'll all go to that tomorrow" smiled Brandi.

"Not us" said TJ.

"We have a baseball game tomorrow. We're gonna be there most of the day." put in Cody.

"That's kinda sudden isn't it?" said Ann.

"I know, coach said that a team wanted to play against us here at our school's baseball field. Funny thing is, we've never even heard of them" said TJ.

"That's funny, kinda stinks that they're both on the same day huh?" said Kayla.

"Yeah, you won't be able to have any fun" added Lopmon.

"We'll just meet up with you guys later on in the day. Besides, the game sounds like fun." smiled Cody.

"Yeah, we love the sport so playing really doesn't seem like work to us" added TJ with a smirk.

"Well, since there are so many events going on tomorrow, I guess we can meet at one of them. Whether some of us take advantage of a few of the other events during the day will be our decision." suggested Andrew.

"Sounds like a plan, we'll all meet tomorrow then after our game deal?" asked Cody.

"Deal" chimed in the entire Digidestined team.

--

"_They won't see it coming"_

--

TJ arrived at Cody's house early the next morning along with DemiVeemon hidden in his backpack. TJ was already dressed in his baseball uniform and found Cody dressed in the same manner. Cody let TJ into his house and guided him to his room where Kayla was currently asleep in Cody's bead with Kokomon.

"She had another nightmare last night" whispered Cody.

"Really? I figured since the Demon Lords were gone, she'd stop having them" said TJ lowering his voice.

"She came in last night crying cause the dream really scared her" said Koromon leaping onto the bed with Kayla.

"Aww… you'd think she's gone through enough already" added DemiVeemon joining Koromon next to Kayla.

"What about Albert? He have the same dream?" asked TJ.

"I haven't called him yet. Was gonna do that on our way to the stadium" answered Cody.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Think you two can stay here and keep Kayla company?" asked TJ looking at his and Cody's partner's.

"You can count on us" smiled Koromon before letting out a yawn.

"We'll stay with her and keep those bad dreams away" added DemiVeemon. The two Digimon snuggled up to Kayla before drifting off to sleep.

"Let's head out then" smiled Cody.

"Right behind you" said TJ.

--

"_Play time is gonna be fun"_

--

"When does the parade start?" asked Javi. Ann, Javi, and Andrew along with their partners were standing on the side of the street in the middle of the city area of Lakeview. Various buildings littered the city along with many people lining up to watch the upcoming parade.

"Yeah it's getting stuffy in here" added Hopmon from within Javi's back pack.

"Soon, just be patient" said Ann.

"Yeah once the parade starts we can act like stuffed animals and come out" said Poromon from inside Ann's backpack.

"When are the other's coming?" asked Gigimon from inside Andrew's back pack.

"Albert and Wanyamon are gonna met us later with Michelle and Tsunomon after they pick up Kayla, Kokomon, DemiVeemon, and Koromon. She's babysitting them until Cody and TJ are finished with their game. I think Brandi is gonna go see the picnic with Nyaromon, and Winona is off somewhere else with Viximon." answered Andrew.

"It's starting guys" said Poromon looking down the street from Ann's back pack. The parade had begun with the various colored floats coming down the street.

--

"_This will be a day they will never forget"_

_--_

Albert and Wanyamon were in Albert's room playing for a bit. It wasn't long until Albert heard his dad call him for breakfast downstairs. Albert left Wanyamon on his bed then headed downstairs to eat. Albert took a seat at the table with his dad and brother before he began to eat.

"So what do you have planned for today son" asked Albert's dad.

"Just gonna hang out with my friends and enjoy the carnival" smiled Albert. They trio heard the door bell rang while Albert's brother got up to see who was at the door.

"Sounds like fun" said Albert's father.

"Yeah. Today is gonna be great" said Albert.

--

"_Let's get this show on the road"_


	84. Ch 84 The Secrets Out

_**Ch 84 The Secrets Out**_

"Dad!" yelled Albert's brother running into the kitchen. Several strange creatures pursued him until they noticed Albert sitting at the table. The creatures turned to Albert then began to move toward him. Albert had little time to react from the oncoming Digimon.

"Gaomon!" yelled Albert.

_Wanyamon Digivolved to… Gaomon_

"Wild Bark!" cried Gaomon as he came running down the stairs and using his attack to blow the creatures away from his partner.

"You're alive!? I thought you were just some funny looking stuffed animal!" stated Albert's brother in shock.

"Nope, I'm real alright. Albert catch!" yelled Gaomon throwing a shiny object toward Albert.

Albert caught the object, which turned out to be his tag and crest, then placed them around his neck. The crest began to glow, giving off a white light that repelled the creatures out of Albert's home. Once the light subsided Albert now bore the clothes he wore in the Digital World. "What are Bakemon doing here and why am I dressed like this? I'm not in the Digital World."

"No idea. There are more of them outside checking every house for humans and rounding them up. Chances are they're looking for you and they're looking for the others also." growled Gaomon.

"Yeah, let's go find the other before..." began Albert as he and Gaomon headed for the doorway out.

"Wait, you're not going out with all those things out there" barked Albert's dad following them.

"I have to dad, my friends are in trouble" replied Albert.

"It's not safe" objected Albert's dad.

"Don't worry sir, I'll keep you son safe. Nothing will happen to him as long as he's with me" assured Gaomon.

"Not the first time he's done it" smiled Albert.

"But…" started Albert's father.

"Stay here and hide, I doubt they'll come here once they see me running out of the house. Ready to go buddy?" asked Albert holding out his Digivice.

"Ready!" said Gaomon.

_Gaomon Digivolved to… Gaogamon_

The presence of the great wolf startled Albert's dad along with a few other humans trying to escape the many Bakemon. Albert quickly jumped onto his partners back and took off at full speed with a few of the Bakemon chasing after them.

--

"Look at all the floats" smiled Poromon watching the colorful vehicles pass by. The parade came to a sudden stop causing a few mummers amongst the crowd.

"Why are they stopping?" asked Hopmon.

"Who knows? Maybe there's a problem with the head float." answered Javi.

Several screams filled the air as the people began to run around in a frenzy. The floats began to rip open revealing Bakemon along with another unknown Digimon. The Digimon had the body of a tank colored a dark green. The Digimon had a large cannon on his forehead along with a set of smaller set of cannons on its hands.

"Are those Digimon?" asked Ann in shock. Ann's, Javi's, and Andrew's crests began to glow in their respective colors changing their normal clothes to their Digital World clothes. All their partners leapt before them as they began to Digivolve.

_Poromon Digivolved to… Hawkmon_

_Hopmon Digivolved to… Monodramon_

_Gigimon Digivolved to… Guilmon_

"Yep, Tankmon, he's at the champion level but has a lot of power in those cannons. His Machine Gun Arms attack will shoot through anything" read Andrew off his newly appeared D-Dex. The Tankmon and Bakemon caught site of the trio and began to head toward them.

"Why are they in the human world? Only people with Digivices can travel here" said Ann.

"No idea, Beat Knuckle" cried Monodramon knocking a nearby Bakemon away with his glowing purple fist.

"We're outnumbered here guys, let's move to somewhere safe, Feather Strike!" added Hawkmon throwing her feather and knocking a few more Bakemon away.

"Pyro Sphere" added Guilmon blowing the Tankmon away with his small red orb.

"Right, we can't let them harm these people" said Andrew heading for a nearby alleyway. The group ran into the alleyway trying to find a safe place to go, the other evil Digimon following them.

--

"What are you guys doing here?" questioned Brandi as the Bakemon began to surround her. Brandi was hoping to enjoy the nice picnic at the park until the Bakemon showed up and began to attack all those in the park.

"You're coming with us girl" said one of the ghostly Digimon.

"Not if I have anything to say about it" challenged Nyaromon

_Nyaromon Digivolved to… Salamon, Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

"Lightning Paw!" yelled Gatomon clearing a pathway for Brandi to escape with her swift punch attack.

"This way" called Gatomon.

"Right" said Brandi following her partner away from the evil Digimon swarm.

--

_Viximon Digivolved to… Renamon_

"Diamond Storm" cried Renamon blowing the Bakemon away from her partner with her storm of tiny crystals. Winona and Renamon were currently at the town's stables along with a friend of Winona's. The Bakemon began to barge into the various stables spooking the horses and charging for Winona until Renamon Digivolved and knocked them all away. A glow of purple light changed Winona's clothes to the Digital World clothes.

"What are those things?" questioned Winona's friend in a panic.

"Umm… long story just go hide. Renamon, let's find the others" said Winona

"Right won't get too far in this form" said Renamon before Digivolving.

_Renamon Digivolved to… Kyubimon_

"But we will in that one" said Winona climbing onto her partners back. The duo took off, heading straight for the cities park.

--

Albert and Gaogamon were dashing through the neighborhood with the Bakemon following close behind. Gaogamon would try to run through various homes to lose the Digimon but was still unable to stop the Bakemon.

"We gotta get them off out tails" said Albert.

"Got a plan?" asked Gaogamon

"Howling Blaster!" cried Garurumon blowing the pursuing Digimon away with his attack. Michelle was currently ridding on her partners wearing a rather large gym bag around her should. Kayla was holding onto Michelle with Lopmon. Both Michelle and Kayla wear wearing their Digital World clothes.

"That works" smiled Albert.

"This way" guided Michelle. Albert and Gaogamon began to follow Michelle and Garurumon through the streets, looking for a safe place to hide.

--

The baseball field was set for the game. The stadium was rather large with many stands currently filled with countless people. A large digital score board at the end of the field displayed various stats along with the action happening on the and Cody began to take their places on the baseball field to start the game. The opposing team marched onto the field, making a huge circle around the home team causing much confusion.

"What are they doing?" asked TJ looking over to Cody.

One player from the opposing team stepped forward then began to speak. "Digidestined, your end has come"

"What?" said TJ.

"What did he say?" asked Cody.

The opposing team members made several convulsions before turning into Bakemon. The sinister Digimon encircled the home team. The team was rounded up into the center of their field all while the crowd began to scream in terror and flee the stadium with other Bakemon chasing after them. The player who had stepped forward turned into another Digimon that held a long scythe with a chain attached to the end.. The Digimon wore a long red hood, had a grey ghost like body, and had a pair of glowing blue eyes

"Oh boy, this is gonna be a great day" sighed Cody.


	85. Ch 85 Invasion

_**Ch 85 Invasion**_

"What's going on? What are all these Digimon doing here?" questioned Michelle. Michelle, Garurumon, Albert, Gaogamon, Kayla, Lopmon, Koromon, and DemiVeemon all found a quiet place to hide from the Digimon invasion, deep within a nearby forested area covered by trees.

"I have no idea. As far as we all figured, only us and our partners could travel to the human world" replied Albert. "What's your guy's story?

"Oh, I was at home getting ready to go pick up Kayla here so we could go with Brandi to the picnic at the park. Tsunomon was hiding in my backpack as I started to walk over to Cody's house when the Bakemon started to attack. Next thing I knew, my crest began to glow changing my clothes and causing Bakemon to start coming after me. Tsunomon then Digivolved to Garurumon to hold back the attacking Bakemon. Then we ran to check on Kayla who was already being attacked by the Bakemon. Want to tell him what happened next Kayla or do you want me to tell him?" asked Michelle looking over to Kayla who was gripping Lopmon close to her.

"I… I can tell him…" began Kayla.

"It's alright if you don't want to Kayla." said Albert kneeling in front of Kayla.

"No, I want to. I was having a tea party with Koromon, DemiVeemon, and Kokomon when I heard my mommy scream and my daddy start yelling. Kokomon Digivolved to Lopmon and we all went downstairs to see what was going on. By the time we got there… my parents… were being dragged away by the Bakemon…" started Kayla before bursting into tears. Kayla just ran over to Albert and buried her head in his chest crying.

"I got there just I time to drive the Bakemon away from her. We just barely missed the chance to save her parents." frowned Michelle.

"I wanted to… help them… but I was to… late…" cried Kayla.

"It's alright Kayla, we'll find away to get them back" assured Albert.

"We wanted to help but without Cody or TJ we can't do much" said Koromon.

"Yeah if we had Digivolved… wait a minute! TJ and Cody are out in the open without us to protect them!" exclaimed DemiVeemon.

"Oh no, my brother's in trouble" said Kayla, her tears suddenly stopping.

"Where are they?" asked Michelle.

"The high school, the baseball game they're in is being held there" said Kayla.

"Then we better get over there quick." said Gaogamon.

"The Bakemon are probably going after them already." added Garurumon.

"Yeah, I won't let them take my brother away" stated Kayla confidently.

"That's the spirit, let's head out guys" said Albert climbing onto Gaogamon's back.

--

Brandi and Gatomon managed to evade the Bakemon swarm and found a pond in the park to hide by. Gatomon climbed a nearby tree and scoped out the surrounding area, searching for any close by enemy Digimon

"I think we'll be safe here for now" said Gatomon looking around from the tree branch.

"I hope so, I wonder how the others are doing?" asked Brandi.

"They should be fine as long as their partners are with them" replied Gatomon jumping down to the ground, landing gracefully on the soft grass.

"That's true, we better try and find them though, just to be sure" said Brandi.

Brandi and Gatomon began to head toward the city until something flew right by them, slamming into a nearby tree and leaving a large indention on its surface. Brandi looked over to the pond to see several Digimon hopping out of the clear colored water. The Digimon appeared to resemble yellow colored frogs except for the orange fur growing out of their backs and the row of black horns emerging from their spines.

"Gizamon, rookie level Digimon that are great fighters in or near water. They can roll up into balls to perform their Spiral Edge attack. That must be what hit the tree" said Brandi reading the data off her D-Dex.

"Our master will be happy once we give him this Digidestined child" croaked one of the Gizamon.

"Your gonna have to get through me first!" yelled Gatomon taking an attack stance.

"You can't hold us all off alone" laughed another one of the Gizamon.

"Foxtail Inferno" cried Kyubimon using her flames to knock several of the Gizamon back into the pond. "Who said she's fighting alone?"

"You make it alright Brandi?" asked Winona approaching Brandi.

"Yeah, I and Gatomon are alright so far. Any word from the others?" said Brandi.

"I haven't had time to get in contact with them yet. I say we find a quiet place to hide and try to call them." suggested Winona.

"Sounds like a plan, Lightning Paw" cried Gatomon slamming her fist into one of the Gizamon and hurling the evil Digimon far across the pond.

"Let's get moving then to our usual spot" put in Kyubimon. Brandi and Winona gave a quick nod then began to head for the teams usual hang out, the lake side.

--

"Did we lose them yet!" yelled Ann as she, Andrew, Javi, and their partners sprinted down the alleyway.

"Machine Gun Arm" said one of the Tankmon holding out his hand creating a stream of bullets to fly toward the fleeing Digidestined. The attack barely missed the team, hitting a nearby wall instead.

"Answer your question?" asked Hawkmon frantically flying next to Ann.

"The alleyway forks up ahead, let's go left and lose these guys downtown" suggested Andrew looking ahead.

"Right" said Guilmon. The group reached the forking path with Andrew, Guilmon, Ann, and Hawkmon turning left while Javi and Monodramon turning right. The enemy Digimon split up going after both groups of Digidestined.

"Where are you going?" asked Monodramon.

"Guilmon said right" spoke Javi.

"No he was confirming that we were supposed to turn left" barked Monodramon annoyed.

"Great, we're split up from the group now. Let's head to the park, we can lose them there." said Javi.

--

In a flash of red and teal colored lights, both TJ and Cody wore their Digital World uniforms making them stand out from their team mates. With the Bakemon surrounding them, nobody in the group could escape. TJ pulled out his D-Dex and scanned the unknown Digimon.

"Phantomon, a ghost type Digimon who uses his attack Shadow Scythe to collect lost souls."

"What are you guys doing here" growled Cody.

"The Dark Masters have decided that the time to invade the human world has come. However, certain problems have prohibited the Dark Masters to carry out their plans fully. In order to complete the invasion, they require all of the crests from the Digidestined along with their Digivices" explained Phantomon.

"What make you think we're gonna just give you our tags and crests?" asked TJ, glaring at Phantomon.

"This, Shadow Scythe" said Phantomon swinging his scythe, barely missing one of the other baseball players.

"If you don't comply, I'm just gonna have to start attacking all your little teammates here" laughed Phantomon preparing for another attack.

"Wait…" began Cody taking off his tag and crest. Cody reached into his pocket pulling out his Digivice then handed the items over to Phantomon. TJ reluctantly did the same handing over his Digivice and crest to Phantomon.

"Why thank you Digidestined, now that I have what I want I don't need you two anymore. Time to say goodbye Digidestined" began Phantomon lifting his scythe high into the air. Cody and TJ could only stare at Phantomon, waiting for their untimely end.


	86. Ch 86 Homerun

_**Ch. 86 Homerun**_

"Hey, we gave you what you wanted" barked Cody.

"Yes you did and now that I have your crests and Digivices, the Dark Masters are just a few more steps away from achieving their goal." said Phantomon.

"You're not gonna get away with this" growled TJ.

"But I already have" laughed Phantomon holding the two Digivices and crests into the air while preparing for his attack. Phantomon's celebrating was cut short when the pair of objects disappeared suddenly out of his hand.

"What? Where did they go?" asked Phantomon spellbound, lowering his scythe.

"Looking for these?" asked WereGarurumon holding the objects in his claw.

"You know, you really shouldn't gloat. It's mean and rude" smiled Michelle standing next to her partner in the stadium's stands. Michelle grabbed the items from her partner and held them in her hands.

"Why you little pests" growled Phantomon. "Bakemon, destroy those two and bring me the crests"

The several of the Bakemon left the circle surrounding Cody and the others then charged toward Michelle and WereGarurumon. Michelle and WereGarurumon just stood firm, grinning as the evil Digimon approached.

"Gauntlet Claw!" yelled Turuiemon bursting out of the ground and striking all the Bakemon away with her metal claws.

"Good work Turuiemon" cheered Kayla appearing behind Michelle and WereGarurumon.

"I try" smiled Turuiemon.

"Bakemon, attack those two Digidestined and bring me their crests. I'll finish these pathetic humans off here." ordered Phantomon. The remaining Bakemon did as they were told and started to dash toward Turuiemon. Phantomon prepared his scythe for another attack. A loud howl could be heard throughout the stadium causing the Bakemon to stop and shudder.

"What was that?" asked Phantomon.

"A friend" smirked Cody.

"Spiral Blow" cried Gaogamon using his attack to throw Phantomon off guard. Gaogamon sprinted toward Phantomon knocking the evil Digimon across the field with his claws. Phantomon recollected himself and looked over to the creature that knocked him away.

"I really don't appreciate it when you threaten my friends like that" glared Albert riding on Gaogamon's back, wearing the same backpack Michelle had on earlier.

"Alright Albert" said TJ.

"So, what are you and your little doggie gonna do about it" mocked Phantomon.

"Little…" began Albert.

"… Doggie?" finished Gaogamon starting to grin.

_Gaogamon Digivolved to… MachGaogamon_

"You were saying…" laughed Albert standing next to his giant partner.

"Destroy them all!" bellowed Phantomon.

"Time for you to join the party Turuiemon" said Kayla as her crest began to glow in a beautiful pink light.

_Turuiemon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

"Bunny Blades!" yelled Antylamon using her pink blades to attack several of the incoming Bakemon. Antylamon's attack was too strong for the Bakemon, turning them into nothing but bits of data.

"Wolf Claw" joined WereGarurumon attacking the Bakemon with his glowing blue claws. Phantomon's minions were no match for the two ultimate level Digimon.

"I'll end this all myself, Shadow Scythe!" cried Phantomon swinging his scythe at MachGaogamon.

"Your little toy isn't gonna hurt me, Winning Knuckle" said MachGaogamon ramming his fist directly into Phantomon. The attack destroyed Phantomon leaving nothing but data that flew into the air. With their leader gone, the Bakemon panicked and began to flee the field.

"That was easy" said Michelle as both she and Kayla entered the field and joining the group.

"I got something for ya" said Kayla handing both TJ and Cody their Digivices and crests.

"Thanks sis" said Cody placing his tag and crest around his neck.

"And somebody wants to say hi" said Albert opening the backpack. Koromon and DemiVeemon leapt out of the bag and into TJ's and Cody's arms.

"Did you miss us?" asked DemiVeemon playfully.

"Only a little" laughed TJ.

"Guess we have a few things to explain huh?" said Cody nervously looking at his team mates.

"We'll explain that later, you guys need to get somewhere safe for now and hide" said TJ.

"Try the forest, we hid there with no problems" suggested Albert. The baseball players thanked the others for saving them before leaving the field and heading into the nearby forest. MachGaogamon, Antylamon, and WereGarurumon reverted back to their rookie forms then rejoined the group. Michelle and Albert began to explain what was happening throughout the city followed by Kayla explaining what had happened to her and Cody's parents.

"Don't worry Kayla, I'll rescue them." assured Cody clenching his fist.

"Any news from the other guys?" asked TJ.

"Well…" started Albert opening his D-Dex. "Hey, Winona sent me a message; it says that both her and Brandi are at the lake. A pack frog Digimon attacked them at the park… they headed for the usual hang out… then they began to contact everybody through the D-Dex... and now they're gonna head for the… that's funny, the message cuts off there"

"Think something happened to them?" questioned Kayla.

"Maybe more Digimon appeared at the lake" suggested Gabumon.

"That might make sense so they could be in danger right now" spoke Gaomon.

"Then let's go find them" said Cody.

_Koromon Digivolved to… Agumon_

_DemiVeemon Digivolved to… Veemon_

"Ready to go when you are Cody" said Agumon.

"Hold it guys, somebody should go scout out the city and find out what's going on. That and who are these so called Dark Masters" said TJ.

"Dark Masters?" questioned Albert.

"Phantomon began to ramble about those guys saying that they need our crests and Digivices to fully invade the human world" explained Cody. "Let's split up then, some of us will go into the city to find out what's going on while the other go and round up the other Digidestined"

"Me, Michelle, and Kayla can start by checking on Brandi and Winona." said Albert.

"Which leaves me and TJ to go do some recognizance" added Cody.

"No, I want to go with you Cody" said Kayla.

"It's gonna be too dangerous for you in the city." said Cody sternly.

"I lost mom and dad already, I don't want to lose you to" frowned Kayla.

"Let her come with us, nothing will even get close to her with us around" said Veemon confidently.

"Might be better that way, if something attacked Brandi and Winona, then it's gonna want to attack us" added Albert.

"Fine, but stay close to me though sis" said Cody with a sigh. After them group agreed on their plan, they began to split up. Albert, Gaomon, Michelle, and Gabumon headed for the groups usual hang out by the lake while TJ, Veemon, Kayla, Lopmon, Cody, and Agumon headed for the city and all the chaos that awaited them deep within.


	87. Ch 87 The Dark Masters

_**Ch. 87 The Dark Masters**_

"_Well this is an utter bore. These humans aren't entertaining in the least"_

"_Come on; let's just destroy them all already!"_

"_But that would be boring; I want to have fun with them."_

"_All our troops are rounding up the remaining humans. When do we blow them to pieces?"_

"_We'll eliminate the humans later. For now my fellow Dark Masters, seek out and destroy the Digidestined!"_

--

"I think we lost them" panted Javi as both he and Monodramon reached the park. The duo stopped by the edge of one of the park's ponds to catch their breath and create a new plan of action

"We should be safe here for now. What should we do next?" asked Monodramon.

"Come with us and accept your fate" croaked the Gizamon leaping out of the pond one by one.

"Man, there are more Digimon here to?" groaned Javi.

"We missed capturing those other two Digidestined earlier but at least we got another chance to capture another one" laughed another one of the Gizamon.

"Wait, there were other Digidestined like me here?" said Javi suddenly.

"Yes but we'll never tell where they went" mocked another member of the Gizamon group.

"Want me to get it out of them Javi?" asked Monodramon cracking his knuckles.

"Go for it buddy" smiled Javi.

_Monodramon Digivolved to… Strikedramon_

"He can't fight us all at once, charge!" bellowed the leader of the Gizamon. All the Gizamon charged toward Strikedramon at once.

"Striking Barrage" yawned Strikedramon knocking back all the Gizamon with his flurry of swift punches and kicks. Once the onslaught of punches and kicks ended, only a handful of Gizamon remained on the ground, beaten to a pulp.

"Look, I'll let you guys get off with a warning if you just tell me where my friends went so we can find them" said Javi coolly.

"They mentioned something about going to a usual hang out by the lake…" hissed one of the injured Gizamon.

"MetalSeadramon will have the honor of destroying your friends." groaned another one of the Gizamon.

"He is… a Dark Master… nothing can stop a Dark Master" added another Gizamon. All the Gizamon busted into bits of data one by one. All their data began to fly into the sky before completely disappearing.

"What's a Dark Master?" asked Javi looking over to Strikedramon.

"Beats me" shrugged Strikedramon "We better get to the lake and help out whoever's there"

"Right, time to fly buddy" said Javi as his crest began to glow in a brilliant green color.

_Strikedramon Digivolved to… Cyberdramon_

"Let's go" beaconed Cyberdramon. Javi quickly climbed onto his partners back. Cyberdramon then took off into the sky, flying toward the crystal blue lake visible in the distance.

--

Brandi, Winona, Salamon, and Renamon reached the usual hang out spot for the Digidestined team by the lake. The lake seemed unfazed by the chaos that was surrounding the whole city. The eerie calm kept these Digidestined and their partners on edge.

"Think we'll be safe here?" asked Salamon.

"It'll have to do for now" answered Renamon scouting the area from atop a nearby tree.

"I hope the others are ok and everything but I'm really worried about my family and all the other people in the city" said Brandi sounding very worried.

"The Digimon have no reason to harm humans. My guess is that whoever is doing all this is only trying to split normal humans apart from us Digidestined" said Winona rapidly typing on her D-Dex.

Renamon jumped down from the tree branch then took an attack stance facing the lake. "Something's here"

"We're not the only ones at the lake" growled Salamon. Renamon grabbed Winona as she was typing on her D-Dex and pulled her down to the ground just as a beam of yellow colored energy shot straight over them.

"You got lucky but you won't get lucky again!" cried a massive creature emerging out of the lakes clear water. The creature resembled a sea serpent covered in metallic armor. The underside of the Digimon was colored silver while it's back had gold armor leading up to a golden helmet on the creatures head. The Digimon's helmet had a large cannon for a nose piece with a sharp blade for a horn.

"MetalSeadramon, he's a mega level Digimon. His River of Power attack can obliterate anything in its path" read Brandi reading the data off her D-Dex.

"So you two are Digidestined? You do not look like much of a match for me." glared MetalSeadramon.

"So says you" mocked Winona.

"I am one of the four Dark Masters you pathetic children, there is no force strong enough in either the Digital World or human world that can stand up to me and my fellow cohorts of darkness" retorted MetalSeadramon.

"We'll see about that" challenged Salamon.

_Salamon Warp Digivolved to… Ophanimon_

_Renamon Warp Digivolved to… Sakuyamon_

"Sefirot Crystals" said Ophanimon creating her pure crystals then hurling them toward MetalSeadramon. One swipe of MetalSeadramon's tail destroyed the crystals into nothing but glitter.

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon calling forth her four flamed foxes to attack the Dark Master. MetalSeadramon dived into the water just as the attack was about to strike him. The water dispelled the attack causing MetalSeadramon to laugh as he rose up from the water.

"I told you that you were no match for me. Let me show you a real attack, River of Power!" bellowed MetalSeadramon. The cannon on MetalSeadramon's helmet bean to glow as it collected energy. A beam of yellow energy burst forth, aimed toward the Digimon pair. Brandi and Winona took cover as the attack collided into the forest around them. Ophanimon and Sakuyamon were able to dodge the attack just in time.

"He's strong" growled Sakuyamon.

"Nothing we can't beat" smiled Ophanimon.

"Fools, nothing can beat me. There is nothing that can match my speed or strength. Just try and lay a blow on my armor" challenged MetalSeadramon.

"Voltage Blade" echoed a familiar voice as a figure dashed out from the forest and struck MetalSeadramon on his side with a glowing blue sword. MetalSeadramon let out a cry in pain as Justimon discontinued his attack then took a spot in-between Sakuyamon and Ophanimon giving a slight smirk "Ladies"

"Our hero" sighed Sakuyamon and Ophanimon sarcastically.

"Hope we're not too late to join the party" yelled Javi running up to Brandi and Winona.

"Hey Javi, you're not too late" smiled Brandi.

"Glad you can join us. How'd you know to come to the lake and help us out?" asked Winona.

"We charmed a few Digimon into telling us where they claimed to have seen two Digidestined escape to. Once we saw that you guys were battling something, I had Monodramon Warp Digivolved to Justimon to help you guys out." explained Javi.

"You may have hit me once but you won't do it again. At least now I can destroy three Digidestined at once." laughed MetalSeadramon.

"I'd like to see you try" mocked Justimon.


	88. Ch 88 Regroup

_**Ch. 88 Regroup**_

"River of Power!" yelled MetalSeadramon creating another beam of energy yellow energy, and then firing the beam toward the team's Digimon partners. All three of the Digimon avoided the attack quickly before returning a few attacks of their own.

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon summoning her fox spirits. The four spirits shot toward MetalSeadramon at a blazing speed. The Dark Master laughed then dived into the water avoiding the attack.

"That didn't work last time and it won't work now" mocked MetalSeadramon rising out from the water.

"Wasn't my intent to strike you" spoke Sakuyamon.

"Eden's Javelin" yelled Ophanimon throwing her golden Javelin directly toward MetalSeadramon. The javelin pierced straight through MetalSeadramon's tail causing the Dark Master to cry out in pain. Ophanimon held out her hand causing her lance appeared right back into her open hand.

"You brats won't land a blow like that again" growled MetalSeadramon.

"Shut up already, Justice Burst!" cried Justimon using his cannon to fire a series of blue orbs onto MetalSeadramon. Each orb hit dead on forcing the dark master to retreat back under the water. The Dark Master arose from the lake's waters looking tired and fatigued.

"I won't be defeated, I won't be defeated! River of Power!" bellowed MetalSeadramon creating another attack with the cannon on his helmet. The beam fired straight for Sakuyamon who only stood firm with her staff.

"You're end of terror in the real world ends here, Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" said Sakuyamon waving her staff back and forth. The twin, purple colored rings held back MetalSeadramon's attack before reflecting the attack back toward the Dark Master. MetalSeadramon took the full force of his own attack before being hit directly with Sakuyamon's attack. Once the attacks settled, MetalSeadramon remained on the ponds surface floating, slowly fading away.

"Had enough yet?" mocked Javi.

"How… how did… you defeat me?" stuttered MetalSeadramon.

"Unlike you, we do not believe that we are all powerful creatures" replied Ophanimon.

"Now tell us, what are you doing here in the human world? asked Brandi.

"Us four Dark Masters wish to rule the whole Digital World along with the human world. In order to do this, we need the power of the sacred crests to fully open the Destiny Gate and spread our darkness here. The Digital World has already been covered by darkness, all that remains is the human world." answered MetalSeadramon.

"I guess when we beat Lucemon, all those black streams were darkness spreading throughout the remains of the Digital World" thought Winona.

"Yes, and from that darkness, we were born. Now die Digidestined, River of Power!" cried MetalSeadramon preparing for another attack.

"Voltage Blade" said Justimon quickly leaping into the air then ramming his glowing blade into MetalSeadramon's helmet. Justimon struck the Dark Master straight between the eyes before removing his blade and returning to the shore line. With that final attack, MetalSeadramon burst into bits of data, floating into the sky above.

"One down, three to go" sighed Justimon as he reverted back to his Monodramon form. Sakuyamon and Ophanimon reverted back to their rookie forms then regrouped with their partners.

"Was that cool or what?" smiled Monodramon.

"Or what?" sighed Salamon and Renamon.

"Don't listen to them buddy, us two can look just as 'heroic' as either Cody or TJ" grinned Javi.

"Sorry but no Javi, they pull off the 'heroic' look better than you can" laughed Michelle as she emerged from the forest along with Gabumon, Albert, and Gaomon.

"Gonna have to agree with her there" spoke Brandi with a smile.

"Even Albert can pull that look every now and then" put in Winona.

"So says you three, what are you guys doing here?" asked Javi changing the subject.

"Well…" began Albert explaining everything that had happened to him and Michelle up to this point in time. A small beeping noise could be heard coming from all their D-Dexes causing the group to check the devices.

"It's a message from Ann. She says that all the people that have been rounded up are being held in the convention center downtown…" read Brandi.

"And that's it, the message cuts off there" frowned Albert.

"Like how we only get the cut off messages, never complete ones" said Monodramon sarcastically.

"It's still better than nothing" spoke Renamon.

"At least we have an idea where Ann and maybe the others are" chimed in Gabumon.

"So if we go downtown we might just find everybody" smiled Salamon.

"Then let's head out and find them" finished Gaomon. The group began their trip back through the forest, hoping to find their other team mates.

--

"Man these guys don't back off do they" growled TJ. TJ, Cody, and Kayla stood back to back watching as their partners hold back a wave of encroaching evil Digimon. The trio and their partners had just begun to make their way through the city until they were attacked by a group of Tankmon and Bakemon.

"Nope, V-Nova Blast" cried Veedramon using his attack to knock away a few approaching Tankmon.

"We better find a place to hide and come up with a new plan, Nova Blast" yelled Greymon laughing his flaming sphere attack onto a few more Tankmon.

"I can make us a path to cut through, Gauntlet Claw" said Turuiemon swiping through the Bakemon and opening a safe path for the team to cross. The group began to run down the newly opened path with Turuiemon leading the way while Veedramon and Greymon held back the remaining Tankmon.

"Where are we gonna go?" asked TJ.

"There's a couple of abandon warehouses up ahead, we should be safe there" replied Cody making sure Kayla was always right next to him.

"I hope Albert and Michelle are doing alright looking for the others" said Kayla as the group continued making their way through the city streets. The group managed to evade the enemy Digimon leaving them running in a series of empty streets.

"You guys here that?" asked TJ looking on ahead.

"More enemies?" asked Veedramon.

"Don't see anything coming" said Turuiemon

"Can't be, sounds like footsteps" added Greymon. The group stopped and listened around for the incoming sound.

"Hey guys!" yelled a female voice.

"It's Ann" smiled TJ. Ann, Andrew, Hawkmon, and Guilmon came running down the other end of the street then joined with Cody and his team. Seeing as how things were safe for now, the three champion level Digimon reverted back to their rookie levels.

"Glad to see that you all are alright, any news from the others?" said Andrew.

"Albert and Michelle are out trying to find Brandi and Winona who are near our usual hang out by the lake." spoke TJ.

"Great, Javi was with us but due to a little miscommunication, he got separated from us. The way he was running should have leaded him to the park" added Andrew.

"Miscommunication?" questioned Lopmon.

"He zigged when he should have zagged" laughed Guilmon.

"Well, at least we know where everybody is for the most part. Know of a place we can hide and try to contact everybody?" asked Ann.

"Couple of empty warehouses up ahead I think we can use, come on" guided Cody leading the group further down the street.

"_Hey, it's a cute little girl. I have someone to play with now."_


	89. Ch 89 Play Time

_**Ch. 89 Play Time**_

"We'll be safe in here for awhile" said Cody looking around the empty warehouse. The giant building was completely vacant except for a few large crates and boxes. The metal beams throughout the warehouse made up this buildings main structure.

"Anybody got any info on what's going on so far?" asked Agumon.

"The parade was one big trap. All the floats were Digimon in disguise and once they saw us, they started to attack" answered Guilmon.

"We did find some useful information while running through the streets" said Hawkmon.

"Which would be?" asked Veemon.

"The convention center downtown is where the invading Digimon are holding all the human captives." said Ann.

"There were a lot of Digimon surrounding the center so we weren't able to even try and free the humans. We'll need everybody to pull that off" added Andrew.

"At least we can save everybody now" smiled Kayla.

"Yep, all we need is a plan" added Lopmon.

"Anybody get in contact with the others yet?" asked TJ.

"On it" said Ann typing away on her D-Dex.

"Is that a new toy? Let me see" said a sudden voice. Ann felt her D-Dex be lifted out of her hand then taken up into the rafters above.

"Hey, who did that?" said Ann confused.

"Aww, there aren't any good games on this thing. It's useless" echoed the voice. Ann saw her D-Dex falling to the ground before her. Hawkmon quickly flew toward the device and caught it right before it could collide with the concrete ground.

"Who's there?" yelled Cody.

"You big kids are no fun" groaned the voice. A Digimon appeared before the group by jumping down from the rafters above. The Digimon appeared to be a puppet made completely out of wood wearing white gloves, torn blue overalls, and a red night cap. The Digimon held a large metal hammer in its hands and had thick red ropes coming out from the big wooden X attached to its back.

"Puppetmon, he's a Mega level Digimon that's as mature as a five year old. His hammer lets him perform his Puppet Pummel attack whenever he has a tantrum." read Andrew from his D-Dex.

"What do you want?" growled Agumon.

"Nothing, I just want to play with her" said Puppetmon pointing to Kayla.

"You're not getting anywhere near my sister" glared Cody.

"Why are you big kids so mean? I just want to play with her for a bit before I destroy her and give her Digivice and crest to my fellow Dark Masters" frowned Puppetmon.

"I'm not gonna play with you" barked Kayla.

"You shouldn't say things like that, I always get what I want even if I have to take it by force like this" laughed Puppetmon snapping his fingers. Three more Digimon busted out from the ground below. The Digimon trio all resembled flowers but looked anything but sweet. A series of green root made up their bodies followed by a large yellow and purple color flower for a face and four smaller red flowers emerging from their sides each containing a mouth and sharp teeth.

"Blossomon, ultimate level vegetation Digimon, those smaller flowers are used to perform their Spiral Flower attack" said Ann reading her D-Dex.

"Change your mind yet?" asked Puppetmon with a laugh.

"Kayla ain't going with you!" yelled TJ.

"Yeah so back off" added Veemon.

"Fine then, Blossomon attack!" ordered Puppetmon. The Blossomon raised up their smaller flowers then flung them toward the Digidestined, spiraling rapidly.

_Agumon Digivolved to… Greymon, Greymon Digivolved to… MetalGreymon_

_Veemon Digivolved to… Veedramon, Veedramon Digivolved to… AeroVeedramon_

_Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon, Aquilamon Digivolved to… Garudamon _

_Guilmon Digivolved to… Growlmon, Growlmon Digivolved to… WarGrowlmon_

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Turuiemon, Turuiemon Digivolved to... Antylamon_

"Wing Blade!" cried Garudamon using her flaming aura attack to stop the incoming flower attack. The flames repelled the plant Digimon's flowers causing them to retreat a few steps.

"What are you doing? Attack them!" yelled Puppetmon.

"Here's the thing about plants" smirked Cody.

"They hate fire, AeroVeedramon!" yelled TJ.

"On it TJ, V-Wing Blade!" cried AeroVeedramon flapping his wings rapidly creating a series of flames to fall upon the Blossomon. The Blossomon quickly caught on fire, yelling out in pain while they tried put out the flames.

"Stop goofing around and get rid of them!" said Puppetmon sounding annoyed.

"Time to end this, Giga Missile" shouted MetalGreymon launching his two giant missiles toward the Blossomon trio. The attack immediately deleted two of the Blossomon on impact.

"Atomic Blaster!" added WarGrowlmon using his twin beam cannons to delete the remaining Blossomon.

"No, no, no! This isn't what was supposed to happen" said Puppetmon stomping his feet repeatedly.

"Someone needs a time out" said Kayla.

"I'll take care of that, Bunny Blades" said Antylamon throwing her glowing pink blades toward Puppetmon. Puppetmon saw the attack coming and leapt into the rafters above dodging the attack.

"I always get what I want Digidestined no matter what, Puppet Pummel!" bellowed Puppetmon holding up his hammer. A series of small yellow orbs rained repeatedly on the Digimon team causing them to revert back to their rookie levels.

"I think we need a power boost" said Cody gripping his Digivice tightly.

"Not this time, that would be cheating." laughed Puppetmon pulling out a small red orb then flinging the orb toward the group. The orb exploded trapping the entire group, with the exception of Kayla and Lopmon, in a red putty like substance.

"What is this stuff?" struggled TJ trying to move.

"Just some clay that I like to play with every now and then. Are you gonna come with me now Kayla or should I start destroying your friends one by one starting with your big brother." laughed Puppetmon jumping back down from the rafters.

"Don't let him scare you Kayla" said Cody.

"He's just a big bully" added Agumon

"Oh shut up" laughed Puppetmon throwing a smaller red orb of clay toward Cody and Agumon, gagging their mouths. Puppetmon walked over to the trapped team and held up his hammer over Cody "What's it gonna be Kayla?"

"I'll play, I'll play. Just please don't hurt them." pleaded Kayla.

"See, that wasn't so bad. How about we play Hide and Seek and Destroy? I'll give you thirty seconds to start running and find a place to hide while I seek and destroy. Ready 30… 29… 28…" began Puppetmon beginning to count down in a sinister tone.

"Let's go Kayla" said Lopmon grabbing Kayla's hand with her large ear then lead her out of the warehouse. Kayla followed hoping to win this game of hide and seek, her life depending on it.


	90. Ch 90 Play Time’s Over

_**Ch. 90 Play Time's Over**_

"Want me to Digivolved here and stop Puppetmon Kayla? We should be far enough away from the others so that he can't hurt them" spoke Lopmon. Kayla and Lopmon were running full speed down the empty streets of Lakeview, looking for a safe place to hide from Puppetmon.

"No, I have a plan, we just need to get to the park." said Kayla.

"The park?" questioned Lopmon.

"Yeah, if he wants to play hide and seek then we'll play hide and seek"replied Kayla.

"Are you sure? I can take him" responded Lopmon.

"I'm sure, I'm Cody's little sister aren't I? I can come up with good plans to" smiled Kayla.

"I hope you're right" said Lopmon. The pair continued to run down the streets heading directly for the park.

--

"Ideally, the others should be somewhere in this area" said Winona looking around the now desolate streets of the downtown district of Lakeview.

"We only have an idea of where they are, not an exact location" added Renamon.

"Might take some time to find them though, think we should split up?" asked Michelle.

"That could work, we would cover more ground that way" replied Gabumon.

"But what if we all get separated again? Then we'd only be looking for each other" sighed Brandi.

"We'd don't have much of a choice if we want to find everybody before the Digimon problem gets worse." said Gaomon.

"Then let's figure this out. Brandi, Winona, and Michelle, go check out the warehouse district of the city. Me and Javi will go around and check out a few of the areas we've been to so far and see if we can find anybody there. We'll meet up again back here in an hour if nobody can find anything." thought out Albert.

"Sounds good to me" said Monodramon.

"Let's split up gang" said Javi.

--

"Kayla… Kayla… come out come out where ever you are… man that girl is fast" groaned Puppetmon. Puppetmon pursed Kayla all the way to the park and was now looking for the young girl amongst various trees and flowers. The Dark Master soon found himself searching for Kayla in the middle of a playground. The now eerily silent grounds would send shivers down anyone's spines

"Kayla… where are you?" spoke Puppetmon playfully. The evil Digimon took a spot on the edge of a see saw to examine the area for a bit. "Note to self, never give the victim time to run"

"Can't you find me Puppetmon" laughed Kayla.

"You should have a great view from up there" added another voice.

"Up where? I'm on the ground" said Puppetmon confused. Turuiemon quickly leapt out of a nearby tree and hit the other end of the see saw sending Puppetmon flying into the sky. Turuiemon dashed back into the trees to hide leaving Puppetmon to crash into the ground.

"Did you see me?" giggled Kayla.

"Why you little…" growled Puppetmon. "Come on out already!"

"You were the one who wanted to play Puppetmon" said Turuiemon.

"How about we skip the hide and seek and just move on to the destroy part" suggested Puppetmon gripping his hammer tightly.

"How about we play catch instead?" suggested Kayla. Puppetmon felt several rather hard balls hit him directly on his forehead. Puppetmon shrugged off the attack and continued to look around the area.

"Or we could play tag" added Kayla. Puppetmon felt his night cap be pulled over his eyes blinding the Dark Master for a few moments. Once Puppetmon adjusted his cap, he could see the playground still vacant.

"Still want to play?" asked Turuiemon.

"You two are just as mean as the older kids. That's it, time to end this game, Puppet Pummel!"yelled Puppetmon. The Dark Master held up his hammer sending a barrage of yellow orbs flying throughout the playground, totally demolishing the place. Kayla and Lopmon appeared once Puppetmon's attack finished looking unharmed.

"We win" said the pair together.

"No I win, Puppet Pummel" cried Puppetmon taking aim with his hammer.

_Lopmon Warp Digivolved to… Cherubimon_

"Lightning Spear!" shouted Cherubimon using her thunderbolt to stop Puppetmon's attack.

"That's not fair, you're cheating" whined Puppetmon.

"We're not cheating, just because things don't go your way doesn't mean were cheating." said Kayla.

"You wanted to play, not our fault you can't keep up with us" added Cherubimon.

"I guess I better stop playing and get serious, Puppet Pummel" said Puppetmon using his hammer to attack Cherubimon. Cherubimon had little time to react and took the attack directly. Puppetmon then continued by ramming his hammer into Cherubimon's side and throwing the angelic Digimon across the ruined playground.

"Cherubimon!" cried Kayla.

"What was that about not keeping up?" gloated Puppetmon. "Now then, who wants to be destroyed first?"

"Neither of us, Lightning Spear!" yelled Cherubimon hurling another lightning bolt toward Puppetmon. Puppetmon dodged the attack then smacked Cherubimon across the face with his metal hammer.

"Let's see, shall I get rid of you first or maybe Kayla wants to be first" said Puppetmon turning to Kayla and giving her a wicked smile. Puppetmon raise his hammer, aiming for Kayla "You were a nice playmate but it's time for you to go now. Don't worry too much about biting the big one, your brother will join you shortly, Puppet Pummel"

A rain of yellow orbs fell onto the spot Kayla was standing. Puppetmon laughed as the attack smashed into the ground leaving nothing standing. Puppetmon then turned his attention toward Cherubimon and took aim with his hammer one more time "Any last words before I beat you to deletion?"

"Yeah, you lose" smiled Cherubimon.

"What?" said Puppetmon spellbound.

"You know, we really don't like it when you pick on our little buddy" said Albert leaning on a tree with Gaomon and Javi. Justimon appeared next to the trio holding Kayla in his arms.

"One princess saved" laughed Justimon placing Kayla on the ground gently.

"My hero" giggled Kayla giving Justimon a small kiss on the cheek.

"At least Kayla thinks we're heroes" mumbled Javi.

"More big kids, what's with all of you? Why do you always want to protect her?" questioned Puppetmon.

"It's cause she's our friend, whenever she needs us, we'll be there to help her" said Gaomon.

"Is that so little doggy?" growled Puppetmon.

"That's it, I've had it with people calling you little doggy. Gaomon, time to Digivolve" said Albert grabbing his Digivice.

_Gaomon Warp Digivolved to… MirageGaogamon_

"Care to retract your statement?" asked MirageGaogamon.

"That's it, I'll blow you all to smithereens, Puppet…" began Puppetmon.

"Voltage Blade" yelled Justimon cutting straight through Puppetmon's hammer with his glowing blade. Puppetmon's lone weapon burst into tiny bits of data leaving him defenseless.

"Double Crescent Barrage" added MirageGaogamon using his yellow crescent shaped energy blades to send Puppetmon flying high into the sky.

"He's all yours Cherubimon" said Kayla.

"Right, Storm of Judgment!" bellowed Cherubimon throwing her hands up into the sky. A barrage of lightning bolts struck Puppetmon repeatedly, deleting the Dark Master in only a matter of seconds.

"And another one bites the dust" said Javi as the Digimon trio reverted back to their rookie forms. The Digimon partners returned to their human partner's sides to regroup.

"Thanks for saving me" said Kayla.

"It was nothing Kayla, what were you doing here all by yourself?" asked Javi.

"Puppetmon trapped the others in a warehouse so I had him chase me here to keep the others safe" answered Kayla.

"We'd better go help them out then. Let's go guys" said Albert leading the team. The group made their way back into the city with Albert leading. Kayla turned back to see the destroyed playground one more time before catching up with the others.


	91. Ch 91 The Calm Before

_**Ch.91 The Calm Before**_

"Oww TJ, your pulling my leg" yelled Ann.

"Well sorry, not my fault we all got stuck together in this stupid glue" struggled TJ against the red mess of putty.

"Somebody think of a way to get us out of here yet?" asked Veemon trying to pull off the putty surrounding him.

"Nope, don't try eating it, Guilmon tried and now his mouth is stuck shut" sighed Andrew.

TJ, Veemon, Ann, Hawkmon, Andrew, Guilmon, Cody, and Agumon were all still stuck together in the putty blob Puppetmon had captured them in. Guilmon tried to chew the putty but to no avail, it would not come off. Cody and Agumon tried to speak but the goo continued to gag their mouths.

"I think we're stuck here till someone comes and pulls us out" said Hawkmon.

"Man, you guys take sticking together to a whole new level don't you?" laughed Michelle entering the warehouse with Gabumon. Brandi, Salamon, Winona, and Renamon soon followed behind her only to let out a laugh upon seeing their fellow Digidestined stuck together in the red goop.

"Just get us out of here!" barked TJ.

"Alright, Diamond Storm" said Renamon summoning her sharp gems. The attack cut straight through the red goo, freeing the Digidestined at once.

"Kayla, we got to find Kayla!" said Cody in a panic.

"What happened?" asked Brandi.

"Puppetmon trapped us in that stuff then forced Kayla and Lopmon to a play date" replied Agumon.

"That might explain the fighting we heard on the way over here from the park" thought Winona.

"Fighting…" said Cody turning pale then clenching his fists together.

"Before you do anything rash, Albert and Javi went to go check it out. If Kayla and Lopmon are in battle, they should be helping her by now" said Michelle trying to calm Cody down.

"She should be fine" added Gabumon.

"Not like Kayla hasn't been in a fight before" put in Salamon.

"Hey, I'm getting a message… it's from Albert!" said Brandi opening her D-Dex "It says that they found Kayla fighting a Dark Master and says that the three of them defeated him then continues to say everything is fine now. Albert wants to know where to meet next."

"Any safe place close by to here?" asked Veemon.

"The school might work, it may be on the edge of the city but at least the evil Digimon numbers are small there" suggested TJ.

"Brandi, send a message to Albert saying to meet us at the school," said Cody.

"On it" assured Brandi. Once Brandi finished sending the message, the group made their way over to their school, hoping to seek refuge from the Digimon invasion for now.

--

"Brandi says to head for the school, bit of a walk from here but it should be safe" said Albert reading his D-Dex before pocketing the device on his vest. The trio was following the back alleys of the city looking for any signs of their fellow Digidestined. They decided to take a break and rest for a bit before heading out again, giving Albert time to message Brandi.

"Are the others alright?" asked Kayla.

"Yeah, she said that she and the others found them still stuck together then freed them." said Albert easing Kayla's nerves.

"I say let's head for the school then, we all could use a break from all this fighting. If the usual trend still follows, the next Dark Master is only gonna get harder" sighed Javi.

"Something wrong Kayla?" asked Lopmon looking up to her frowning partner.

"It's nothing…" said Kayla.

"You can tell us what's wrong" spoke Monodramon.

"We're here for you too you know" put in Gaomon.

"It's just… everything that I've loved has been taken away from me or threatened to be destroyed. First my partners were taken prisoner, my house ruined, then Cody got captured, and now the place my parents always took me and Cody when we were younger, my favorite place in the whole wide world, is now gone" said Kayla, a few tears trickling down her cheek.

"Don't worry Kayla, we'll get all that back" said Monodramon, assuring the young Digidestined.

"Once this is all over, they'll rebuild everything that was destroyed and everything can go back to normal… well as normal as you can get after an invasion of creatures from another world" laughed Javi.

"Really?" asked Kayla.

"Really" replied Albert.

"Right now though, your big brother is probably worried sick about you. Just be brave and strong a little longer till we fix this mess" added Gaomon.

"Ok" smiled Kayla. With that said, the group began their long trip back to the school to regroup with the other Digidestined.

--

"_Come on already, I can seek those Digidestined out and blow them to bits in only a matter of seconds if you let me"_

"_True, but there would be no fun in that. I'm sure those Digidestined have learned by now where we are keeping their families and friends. They should be coming here in only a matter of time to try and rescue them all"_

"_Are we really going to give them the chance to recover and bring the fight to us?"_

"_They won't defeat us my metal friend, Puppetmon and MetalSeadramon were a bit weak to begin with anyways. Best let lower pieces of the chess board be taken first, giving the higher pieces a way to end the game. I must say though, I will miss saying the four Dark Masters though"_

"_If that is what you wish then I will obey… for now at least"_

"_Oh don't worry; the show can begin once they reach the Convention Center"_

_--_

"Kayla, you're alright." said Cody hugging his sister tightly. The entire Digidestined teams regrouped at the high school and were currently taking a breather in the cafeteria. All their Digimon partners surveyed the area making sure it was free of evil Digimon infestation. Brandi and Michelle searched the kitchen area for food while the others searched the remaining parts of the school for anything that could help.

"I can take care of myself, I'm a big girl now" smiled Kayla.

"Big girls don't get piggy back rides from their big brothers you know." laughed Cody.

"On second thought, maybe I like being little" giggled Kayla jumping onto her brothers back. Cody happily let his sister ride on his back for awhile.

"That's so cute" smiled Ann watching the brother and sister pair.

"Cody always has a soft spot for his baby sister" added TJ with a smile.

"Area secure TJ, the other Digimon are staked out at all possible entrances and exits into the cafeteria" saluted Veemon as he approached his human partner.

"Good work, anybody find anything useful around here?" asked TJ.

"Got a few first aid supplies from the nurse's office" said Albert as he and Andrew came into the cafeteria carrying a couple of first aid kits.

"We got a few mats from the gym to sleep on along with a few blankets." added Winona entering the room carrying several thin blankets along with Javi dragging several large blue mats behind him.

"Good, it's getting late out, we're gonna need time to rest and recover a bit before we try and rescue everybody from the Convention Center." said TJ.

"We're gonna need a flawless plan to pull everybody out of there safely" put in Cody as he and Kayla approached the forming team.

"We can't put any of those innocent people in danger" added Kayla.

"It's gonna have to be the best plan we've ever some up with" said Andrew.

"Or we could wing it like we usually do" laughed Javi.

"Hey guys" yelled Michelle from the kitchen. The group turned to see her and Brandi holding two large trays of sandwiches, chips, and a few little cartons of milk for all members of the team.

"It's not much but we could sure use something to eat right now. Our partners must be starving after all this Digivolving" said Brandi.

"You got that right" said Veemon drooling over the site of food.

"Thanks you two, go call all the Digimon partners so we can eat together and think up a plan for tomorrow. We'll settle in here for the night and once morning comes, we're storming the Convention Center and freeing everyone from the Dark Masters." said Cody confidently. Their leaders words gave a new found courage to the Digidestined, nothing was gonna stop them from saving their city.


	92. Ch 92 Storm

_**Ch. 92 Storm**_

Dark grey clouds covered the blue skies above making the city of Lakeview appear to be covered in darkness. All the clouds seemed to spiral around one point in the center of Lakeview, very close to the Convention Center. The center was probably the largest building in the entire city, currently holding all the imprisoned humans. Many dark Digimon patrolled the outside of the building, searching for any signs of intruders.

"Ok so we got Bakemon, Tankmon, and two other Digimon we've never seen before. What's the scan say Albert?" asked Michelle. Michelle, Ann, Andrew, Albert, and their partners were all hiding out near the Convention Center watching the patrolling Digimon.

"Those guys are called SkullMeramon, ultimate level Digimon whose flames can't be doused by water or ice. Their main attack is called Metal Fireball" read Albert scanning one of the unknown Digimon. The Digimon was large covered with pieces of silver colored metal, colored a dark blue, and had many blue flames surrounding its body.

"And those dinosaur looking ones are called MetalTyrannomon, they can use those metal pieces on their arms to perform their Nuclear Laser attack." added Ann scanning the other Digimon. MetalTyrannomon resembled a pale grey colored tyrannosaurus covered with pieces of metal along their extremities.

"Ready to go guys?" asked Ann.

"Yep, shall we storm the castle?" laughed Guilmon.

"Yeah and no more watching me play video games" replied Andrew with a smile.

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… MetalGarurumon_

_Hawkmon Warp Digivolved to… Phoenixmon_

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

_Gaomon Warp Digivolved to… MirageGaogamon_

"Ice Wolf Bite!" cried MetalGarurumon sending a flurry of missiles raining upon the unsuspecting Digimon. The barrage of missiles froze several of the lower level Digimon solid leaving an array of ice sculptures around the front of the convention center.

"Double Crescent Barrage!" yelled MirageGaogamon using his blade attack to destroy all the frozen Digimon, leaving mostly the upper level Digimon.

"Metal Fireball!" bellowed the SkullMeramon launching several balls of blue colored fire toward the Digimon pair.

"Starlight Explosion" shouted Phoenixmon flapping her wings rapidly and creating a mist of golden glitter. Phoenixmon's attack absorbed the flaming attack from the SkullMeramon and protecting her fellow Digimon.

"Nuclear Laser!" yelled the MetalTyrannomon holding out their arms. A series of yellow beams shot out toward Phoenixmon from the metal cannons on their arms.

"Shield of the Just" said Gallantmon using his shield to deflect the lasers back toward the MetalTyrannomon, deleting them into bits of data. Gallantmon took aim at the SkullMeramon with his lance before shouting out "Lightning Joust" and deleting the SkullMeramon with a bolt of blue colored electricity. More and more Digimon poured out from the buildings front entrance entering the battle.

"Looks like we got their attention" said Albert.

"Yeah, hopefully the others are doing their part ok from the back" spoke Ann.

--

"Voltage Blade!" yelled Justimon.

"Ulforce Saber!" added UlforceVeedramon.

The two Digimon burst through the back doors of the Convention Center's deleting the Phantomon guarding the central walkways of the building. Another group of Bakemon and Phantomon swarmed the Digimon pair, totally surrounding them.

"We'll, this might be hard if one more shows up" laughed Justimon.

"It might, wait, you're fighting to?" smirked UlforceVeedramon.

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon destroying the evil Digimon encircling Justimon and UlforceVeedramon with her fox spirits "No time for jokes you two"

"Oh yeah, ruin our fun" mumbled Justimon.

"Doors to the main hall are locked" said Brandi pulling on the handles to the main doors.

"Allow me, Sefirot Crystals" said Ophanimon using her crystals to blow open the main doors. Inside were all the humans captured so far along with many Bakemon guarding them. All the humans were grouped together along the sides of the room, huddled together in fear.

"It's the Digidestined!" yelled one of the Bakemon.

"Get them!" added another Bakemon.

"Oh please, Gauntlet Claw" yawned Turuiemon knocking back all the approaching Bakemon with a few swipes from her metal claws.

"Mega Claw!" cried WarGreymon creating a cyclone then engulfing the ghost like Digimon into the spinning vortex. All the caught Bakemon were quickly deleted back into data. All the people began enter a frenzy trying to find a quick way out of the room they were being held in.

"It'll be chaos if we don't do something to calm them down" said Brandi.

"Everyone, listen to me!" shouted Ophanimon flying into the air above the panicking humans.

"It's another one of those monsters!" screamed a female captive.

"Hey, we just saved your butts" said Justimon.

"They're still terrified over the invasion thing." explained Javi.

"We're not like them" said UlforceVeedramon taking a spot next to Ophanimon in the air.

"We're the good guys" added WarGreymon joining the flying duo.

"It's a trick" bellowed another one of the captives.

_Lopmon Digivolved to… Antylamon_

"Listen everyone; we are good Digimon, not evil Digimon like the ones who captured you all. It is only by combining our strength with humans such as yourselves that we were able to save you. Isn't that right Kayla?" said Antylamon lowering her hand. Kayla climbed into her partners hand and was lifted high enough for everybody to see her.

"This is Antylamon, she's my partner and best friend. We've been through a lot together, a lot a lot together. She's always protected me from danger no matter what. You can trust her and them" spoke Kayla pointing to the other Digimon in the room

"So if you all would like to escape and return to your lives in peace, exit the building quickly through the back" shouted Winona. All the humans asked no more questions or panicked. They exited the Convention Center quickly, leaving through the back exit of the Convention Center.

"Nice one Kayla" congratulated Cody.

"You got the humans to quite down and listen to us" smiled WarGreymon.

"It was Antylamon who picked me up, I just spoke" said Kayla shyly. Antylamon reverted back to her Lopmon form and took a spot next to Kayla.

"Kayla! Cody! Your safe!" cried a female voice. A woman quick ran over to the pair, followed by a man looking her age, and then flung her arms around the two. "I was so worried about you two"

"We're safe mommy" said Kayla.

"Yeah mom, we got this" assured Cody.

"What's going on?" asked the man.

"Well… evil Digimon have invaded the human world after the Digital World became consumed by darkness" explained WarGreymon.

"They're not too happy with us trying to stop them from letting that darkness enter the human world" added Lopmon.

"You can talk?" asked the pair's mother surprised.

"Yep" smiled Lopmon.

"Wish we could talk more but we still have work to do" said Kayla.

"Our fight isn't over yet" spoke Cody.

"But…" began their mother.

"They should be fine; we need to get out of their way for now. Good luck and take care of your sister son" said their father guiding their mother toward the exit.

"Will do dad" assured Cody confidently.

"And we'll take care of them" said WarGreymon and Lopmon together. The two parents left the main room along with the other fleeing humans. The Digidestined felt the building rumble and shake violently for a bit then stop.

"I'm thinking a Dark Master has appeared" said Lopmon.

"Me and TJ will go check out what's going on with the others, the rest of you help guide the people out of here safely" commanded Cody.

"Right" said the team in unison before splitting up.

--

"Digidestined!" bellowed a large Digimon emerging from the ground. The Digimon appeared to resemble a dinosaur made out of chrome metal. The Digimon had many wires and weapons attacked to it's body mainly the two large cannons on its back. The Digimon's head was hidden behind a large black helmet.

"Another Dark Master I presume" said Andrew gazing up at the massive Digimon.


	93. Ch 93 Metal Master

_**Ch. 93 Metal Master**_

"Machinedramon, a mega level machine type Digimon who has a big thirst for destruction. His two attacks, Giga Cannon and Infinity Hand can obliterate anything in its path." read Albert from his D-Dex.

"Finally Digidestined, I can obliterate you all, one by one" laughed Machinedramon.

"Like to see you try you big tin can, Metal Wolf Claw!" cried MetalGarurumon shooting a stream of bright blue energy toward Machinedramon. The beam struck the Digimon totally encasing Machinedramon in ice.

"Shield of the Just" added Gallantmon taking aim with his shield. A bright, golden colored beam shot forth from the massive shield colliding with the frozen Dark Master. The ending explosion left nothing but a large could of smoke surrounding the spot the Dark Master was standing in.

"That was easy" said Michelle.

"Wouldn't speak so soon" spoke Andrew. Once the smoke had subsided, Machinedramon still stood tall looking unharmed by the two attacks.

"Was that your best attack?" mocked Machinedramon.

"Why don't you try this on for size then, Crimson Flame!" shouted Phoenixmon engulfing the Dark Master with her stream of sweltering hot flames. Machinedramon remained standing tall in the stream of flames, not showing any signs of pain or injury.

"Let's see you hold this back, Full Moon Blaster!" bellowed MirageGaogamon as his chest plate opened up revealing a large cannon. A white beam of pure power shot off toward Machinedramon striking the Digimon and sending the Dark Master back a few feet.

"Now that attack had some potential. Let me show you a real attack, Giga Cannon!" said Machinedramon taking aim with his twin cannons. The two cannons collected energy before launching two twin beams of yellow energy toward MirageGaogamon. The attack struck MirageGaogamon knocking the massive knight to the ground.

"MirageGaogamon!" yelled Albert.

"That one had to hurt" laughed Machinedramon.

"I'm fine…" stammered MirageGaogamon pulling himself back up off the ground.

"This will hold you back, Starlight Explosion!" said Phoenixmon flapping her wings. A mist of gold glitter surrounded Machinedramon. Machinedramon still moved through the mist as if nothing.

"A shower of glitter is supposed to hold me back? Why don't you try to hold back this attack with that attack, Infinity Claw!" said Machinedramon launching his large metal claw toward Phoenixmon, knocking the great bird out of the sky.

"He's strong" growled Andrew.

"Way strong" added Michelle.

"I am the leader of the Dark Master's army children. Power is what I seek more than anything in the worlds. Once us remaining Dark Masters get rid of all you Digidestined and open the Destiny Gate completely, we're gonna tear this pathetic city down to nothing." spoke Machinedramon.

"We're not ever gonna give you that chance" growled MirageGaogamon.

"You Digimon are nothing but traitors to us. You allied yourselves with humans and protected them. You are the superior beings, not them" said Machinedramon.

"We just so happen to like our human partners" said Gallantmon.

"They're our best friends" added Phoenixmon.

"Naive Digimon, who needs humans or friendship when you can have power. You Digimon should be ruling over them." retorted Machinedramon.

"We all see each other as equals, why you evil Digimon don't see things like we do is beyond us" said MetalGarurumon.

"Bah, your words mean nothing to me. Prepare to be blasted into oblivion, Giga Cannon!" cried Machinedramon taking aim.

"Ray of Victory!" yelled UlforceVeedramon.

"Terra Force!" bellowed WarGreymon.

The two attacks collided with Machinedramon's side, diverging the cannon attack into the dark, cloudy sky above. Machinedramon let out a low growl as WarGreymon and UlforceVeedramon took a spot before the Dark Master. Cody and TJ joined with the other Digidestined and stood before the great metal Digimon.

"Rescued the people trapped in the Convention Center already?" asked Michelle.

"Yep, the others are escorting them away from the battle as we speak" responded TJ.

"They'll regroup with us once their all done" added Cody.

"Well, well. More Digimon and Digidestined for me to destroy" laughed Machinedramon.

"Yeah right, you won't last very long against us" said UlforceVeedramon with confidence.

"I'd give you five minutes before you're turned back into data" added WarGreymon.

"Fools, you'll all be destroyed by my own two claws, Infinity Claw" yelled Machinedramon launching one of his mighty claws toward UlforceVeedramon.

"Ulforce Saber" said UlforceVeedramon summoning his blue saber and holding back the massive claw with his weapon.

"Mega Claw" shouted WarGreymon using his armed claw to knock Machinedramon's claw back toward the Dark Master. The massive claw rammed into the Dark master sending the Digimon stumbling back.

"Giga Cannon!" bellowed Machinedramon shooting off his twin beam attack.

"Metal Wolf Claw" cried MetalGarurumon holding back the beam attack with his own frozen beam attack.

"Shield of the Just" added Gallantmon joining MetalGarurumon's efforts to hold back Machinedramon's attack. The two beams from the MetalGarurumon and Gallantmon held back Machinedramon's attack.

"Crimson Flame" said Phoenixmon joining the effort. The addition of Phoenixmon's attack began to push the energy beams toward Machinedramon slowly.

"How, how can you Digimon hold back my most powerful attack?" asked Machinedramon in disbelief, still continuing his torrent of energy.

"Cause we have more power than you can ever have, Full Moon Blaster" cried MirageGaogamon adding his power to the attack. The four beams of energy pushed back Machinedramon's own attack, striking the Dark Master with four different attacks at once. Once the barrage of attacks settled, Machinedramon remained standing, looking defeated.

"I won't… be defeated…" staggered Machinedramon trying to remain standing. "… I won't… not before you… weak brats…"

"Our partners give us strength, until you understand this power; you'll never be stronger than us. Ulforce Saber" said UlforceVeedramon summoning his blade. UlforceVeedramon dashed straight through Machinedramon, slicing the Dark Master in half. The two parts of the massive machine Digimon began to fade into bits of data until nothing remained.

"So falls another Dark Master" said WarGreymon as he reverted back to his Agumon form. The other Digimon partners returned to their rookie forms then joined back up with their partners.

"Good work ya'll" smiled Cody.

"Nothing to it" smiled Veemon.

"Hey guys!" yelled Brandi. The group turned to see Brandi, Salamon, Winona, Renamon, Kayla, Lopmon, Javi, and Monodramon running toward them. The whole Digidestined team was joined together now, standing in a large circle.

"Get everybody in the Convention Center away safely?" asked Ann.

"Yep, they're safe now" said Brandi.

"Did you guys finish off the Dark Master for good?" asked Javi.

"Yep, that old tin can is gone" smiled TJ.

"So that only leaves one more Dark Master left to handle. Wonder where it's hiding?" questioned Winona. Before any more Digidestined could add to the conversation, music could be heard throughout the area. The music sounded like something from a carnival, only creepier and ominous.

"Where's that music coming from?" asked Hawkmon.

"Sounds like it's coming from the center of town" said Salamon facing the direction of the music.

"Let's check it out then. The sooner these Dark Masters are gone, the sooner things can get back to normal around here" said Cody leading the Digidestined to the heart of Lakeview. Only one more Dark Master stood before them and the freedom of their home from the Digimon invasion.


	94. Ch 94 The Ring Master

_**Ch. 94 The Ring Master**_

The Digidestined team followed the strange carnival music until they reached the very center of Lakeview. The center of the city was marked by a tall skyscraper reaching high into the dark sky. The very front of the building displayed a large television screen showing nothing but static currently. The very tip of the tall skyscraper contained a large satellite tower pointing upward.

"I don't think I've ever seen this building up close before" spoke Salamon.

"It's called the Lakeview Needle, it marks the center of Lakeview and is the broadcasting point for all digital media outpoints for the entire city" explained Winona.

"Think the last Dark Master is here?" asked Veemon.

"It's highly probable, just look at the sky" pointed out Renamon. All the clouds overhead seemed to rotate around the towers upper most point.

"Don't remember that stage ever being there before" said Andrew pointing to a stage set up before the building. Before the Lakeview Needle was a large stage along with many lights and speakers set up along the stage's edge.

"Maybe they set it up for yesterday's events" suggested Ann.

"That might be the answer. Nobody would have ever thought of a Digimon invasion yesterday morning" said Hawkmon.

"Why hello kiddies" exclaimed a voice from the stage. The Digidestined looked onto the stage to see a clown appear in a puff of white smoke. The clown wore a green and white jump suit which had many tiny bells attached to the sides of the outfit, making a jingle sound whenever the clown moved.

"And you are…" began TJ.

"Oh my name isn't important right now, how about a story kids" smiled the clown pulling out a small book from behind his back.

"We're not ten anymore" spoke Javi.

"Hey!" barked Kayla.

"Except for her but she's a big girl now" corrected Cody.

"Oh, you can never be too old for a story, how about I read one of my favorites…" began the clown flipping through the books pages.

"Do we have to listen to this guy?" groaned Michelle.

"Looks like it" sighed Albert.

"Ah here we go; it's the story of the Digidestined. Now then, once upon a time, there lived nine Digidestined and their Digimon partners. They had many adventures in the Digital World" read the clown. The television screen on the building behind the stage began to display a picture of the Digidestined and their partners done in crayon.

"Wait a minute, how does he know you guys are Digidestined?" questioned Agumon.

"As their adventures continued, they found another Digidestined and had many more adventures" continued the clown. The screen now displayed a picture of Kayla and Lopmon still done in crayon.

"He's got a whole book on our adventures" said Guilmon.

"The ten Digidestined fought many, many tough battles from NeoDevimon to Myotismon to the seven Demon Lord and finally, the four Dark Masters" said the clown still happily reading from his book. Cartoon versions of all the past villains the team had fought appeared on the television screen one by one.

"How does he know everything we've done so far?" asked Monodramon.

"The Digidestined bravely fought the Dark Masters until only one Dark Master was left" said the clown, the television screen now displaying a picture of all the Digidestined and their partners standing together.

"This is getting creepy" shuttered Gabumon.

"But, they all lost fighting against the most powerful Dark Master of all, Piedmon. The end, don't you just love a good story?" laughed the clown closing his book. The television screen shut itself off, now displaying a dark screen.

"Hey, you're story stinks buddy" barked Gaomon.

"Yeah, that last part never happened" added Lopmon.

"But it will Digidestined, allow me to introduce myself…" began the clown. The clown ripped off its jump suit to reveal his true form. The clown had a brightly colored outfit made out of yellow curled shoes, baggy green pants, a red coat, and a set of blue ribbons coming out from the coat's back. The Digimon wore a half black half white mask, had pointed orange hair, and a set of swords on his back. "…I'm Piedmon, the final Dark Master"

"Piedmon, a mega level phantom Digimon that is extremely powerful and cruel. He's got two attacks called Trump Sword and Clown Trick in which he uses his telekinetic powers to manipulate." read Brandi from her D-Dex.

"Well, now that the introductions have been made, who wants to be destroyed first" smiled Piedmon.

"Why don't you tell us why you invaded our home first?" growled Cody.

"If you must know, the battles with the Demon Lords opened each dark seal one by one which in turn finally opened the Destiny Gate. Me and my fellow Dark Masters then decided, why not bring the joy of Digimon to the human world by invading and capturing all the humans. Unfortunately, you Digidestined ruined all the fun we were having" pouted Piedmon.

"You think this is all just a game!" yelled Michelle.

"What type of nut job thinks that's fun?" added Ann.

"Well I did until you Digidestined just had to go out and save everyone, ruining our game. You even knocked out a few of my major players. Shame on you all, weren't you all taught how to play nice?" asked Piedmon.

"Not with lunatics like you" retorted Javi.

"How could you have opened the Destiny Gate? The Chaos Seal was never released" questioned Albert.

"And without anybody controlling the dark seals, there no more source of energy to hold open the gate" put in Winona.

"You don't have to be so snippy and to answer your question" said Piedmon holding out his hand. The seal of chaos appeared in the center of Piedmon's palm along with the other seven Demon Lord seals encircling the center seal. "I have been entrusted with all the dark seals so that I may pass through the Destiny Gate with ease."

"No way" said Veemon in shock.

"He has all the dark crests with him?" asked Guilmon.

"Still though, you couldn't have opened the gate without the Digidestine's crests" said Gaomon.

"Funny thing about that, the Digidestined crests and Dark Seals are linked in a sense. I used the power of the dark seals to seek out your crests. The darkness will always seek out the light and snuff it out." smirked Piedmon.

"We'll if you want a fight, come and get it!" challenged Cody.

"As much fun as that would be, I must say this place is getting rather dull and my losses great. If you would like to settle this, why don't you kids come on back to the Digital World? I'm sure Leomon, GranLocomon, and Wizardmon would be happy to see you all again" laughed Piedmon.

"What did he say?" said Agumon suddenly.

"Goodbye Digidestined" said Piedmon holding his hand out to the sky. The clouds above parted revealing streaks of darkness covering the sky. A stream of pure darkness poured down from the sky covering Piedmon then vanished, leaving nothing but an empty stage.

"He got away" said Renamon.

"And he knows that with the Digiport down, we can't follow" growled TJ.

"He can just keep going to the Digital World and rebuild his armies over and over again. This fight will never end" sighed Ann.

"We can't just let him win… not like this" frowned Kayla.

"We won't, not as long as we can still fight" said Lopmon confidently.

"Yeah, Piedmon can't hide forever. Once we find a way back to the Digital World, he's going down" smiled Cody.


	95. Ch 95 Send Off

_**Ch. 95 Send Off**_

"How do we open a gate to the Digital World without a Digiport?" questioned Winona.

"At least we know it's possible since Piedmon did it" spoke Albert.

"Question is how" said Renamon.

"Can't go through a door without opening it first" pointed out Gaomon.

The whole Digidestined team paced back and forth in front of the Lakeview Needle, trying to find a way to return to the Digital World. Returning back to the Digital World was the team's only hope of freeing both the human and digital worlds from darkness.

"How about we use the crests to find the Dark Seals?" suggested Veemon.

"Yeah, if Piedmon did it to find us, then we can do the same thing to find him" said TJ.

"That could work" smiled Brandi.

"See, you guys figured out a way to go back to the Digital World" cheered Salamon.

"One problem with that though" said Javi.

"Problem?" asked Guilmon.

"Piedmon used both the Dark Seals and Destiny Gate to create the gateway to our world. The Destiny Gate resides in the Digital World; the human world doesn't have any multi dimensional gates" explained Andrew.

"That we know of at least" figured Monodramon.

"He's got a point" frowned Gabumon.

"Any other suggestions?" asked Michelle

"Nope" said Ann.

"We're pretty much back to square one" sighed Hawkmon.

"We can't just give up" spoke Agumon.

"We have an idea on what to do" continued Lopmon.

"We just have to find a way to make it work" finished Kayla.

"That's the spirit guys, I say we just combined the powers of our crests together and hope for the best" said Cody.

"It's worth a shot" shrugged TJ.

"What's the worst that could happen?" chuckled Veemon.

"We could accidentally open the Destiny Gate completely giving any evil Digimon full access to the human world thus creating another Digimon invasion possible" put in Winona bluntly which cause the Digidestined team to stare blankly at her. "Just saying is all"

"Regardless of the possible outcomes, we have to try." said Renamon.

"It's either that or fight Digimon army after army forever" added Salamon.

"Then what are we waiting for, give it a shot guys" smiled Agumon.

The Digidestined began to form a circle with their partners. They then began to hold out each of their tags and crests one by one until the ring of crests was complete. All the crests started to glow, slowly increasing in intensity. Each crest began to shoot off a beam of light in its respective color piercing the sky above. It wasn't long until a rainbow of colors pierced the dark clouds above. The light from the crests began to subside leaving a large white hole visible in the sky.

"Did it working?" questioned Michelle.

"I don't know but something happened" replied Gabumon.

"You guys hear that?" asked TJ looking into the glowing hole.

"Hear what?" said Veemon.

"Just listen… it sounds like a train…" said TJ.

"A train… there aren't any train stations in town… wait a second. You don't think it's…" began Ann.

"Kids!" yelled a voice. The Digidestined looked up into the sky to see a set of train tracks spring out from the portal, heading toward the ground before the Digidestined. The tracks continued flowing out from the hole until a full circuit was complete from the sky to the ground and back into the sky. Following the appearing tracks was GranLocomon moving at full speed.

"GranLocomon, it's you!" exclaimed Lopmon.

"Of course it's me, ever seen another train move as fast as me?" laughed GranLocomon coming to a complete stop before the Digidestined.

"How did you travel here to the human world?" questioned Brandi.

"We've been trying to create a gateway to your world ever since you Digidestined defeated Lucemon and were sent back home. Once this gateway opened, we swiftly made our moved and traveled here. You kids must hurry back and defeat the evil that resides in the Digital World. There is no telling how long the gateway will remain open" spoke Wizardmon as he appeared from GranLocomon's train car.

"Wizardmon!" said the Digimon partners in unison.

"Where's Leomon?" asked Brandi.

"What's happened to the Digital World?" added Andrew.

"I can answer those questions later, right now we need to head back before the gate finally seals shut." said Wizardmon in a hurry.

"Alright, let's go guys" said Albert. The Digidestined entered GranLocomon's lone train car quickly. Once everybody was on board, GranLocomon began to follow the tracks before him, moving higher and higher into the sky. The Digidestined looked down onto their home city as they pulled away from the aftermath of a long battle.

"This is it guys, the final battle" said Cody.

--

"Is this the Digital World?" asked Winona looking out the window. The outside was nothing but a dark void below and a bleak sky above. A few chunks of land could be seen floating above the abyss but each land was barren.

"Unfortunately yes, this is all that remains of our world" answered Wizardmon.

"It gets worse" added GranLocomon.

"Worse than this?" asked Hawkmon.

"You'll see." replied GranLocomon as he slowly pulled to a complete stop. "We're here"

"Where's here?" questioned Guilmon.

"This is here, if you would all exit the train car" guided Wizardmon. The Digidestined team exited the train car and examined their surroundings. The area contained nothing but a few tall mountains on the edges of the land. In the center of the land mass was a massive tower reaching into the sky. The tower's design was mostly black in color and featured one tall structure in the center followed by another structure winding around and around the central building. The two structures met at a circular plate form at the very top.

"Let me guess, Piedmon's hideout?" sighed Javi.

"What gave it away? Was it the evil looking mountains, the dark skies spiraling around this area, or the ominous looking tower?" said Monodramon with a laugh.

"Hurry, Hurry! Step right up to the greatest show ever!" echoed Piedmon's voice.

"Great, he's inviting us to another lame show" said Agumon, annoyed.

"If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he's gonna get" added Veemon clenching his fist. The group began to approach the tower cautiously. Once they reached the base of the tower, the group was surprised to see Piedmon standing on a large wooden stage before the tower's massive double doors colored in white.

"Welcome Digidestined, who wants to see some magic?" smirked Piedmon.


	96. Ch 96 Chase

_**Ch. 96 Chase**_

"Magic?" said Ann confused.

"Yes, how about I treat you all too a little magic show of mine" laughed Piedmon.

"Why do I feel like this isn't going to be the magic we're used to" sighed Javi.

"Don't be such downers kiddies, for my first trick; I'm going to need some help. Luckily, I have somebody to help me out. Say hello to my assistant everyone" said Piedmon holding out his hands. White smoke poured out from the stage and began to reveal a large steel cage holding a captive Leomon inside.

"Leomon!" exclaimed the Digidestined together.

"Let him go!" yelled Agumon.

"Now now kids, you haven't seen my little trick, first I'll need my magic cloth" began Piedmon pulling out a small white handkerchief from his hand. Piedmon threw the cloth over the cage and to the team's surprise, the cloth expanded over the cage completely covering it. Piedmon pulled off the cloth, revealing a now empty cage. "Ta da! Next show is at seven, you've been a great audience!"

"Hey, where's Leomon?" asked Lopmon.

"Well, you could say that I hold the key to his existence. Since I'm so terrible at keeping keys, I turned him into a keychain" laughed Piedmon maniacally as he opened his palm. A small keychain version of Leomon was now sitting in Piedmon's open hand.

"That's just sick" said Brandi in disgust.

"What kind of nut job are you?" added Michelle.

"Nut job? I'm not a nut job, only a collector and I see twenty two new additions to my keychain collection. With you all turned into key chains, I'll have full control over your tags and crests. Would you like to hand them over to me now or do you want to be turned into a keychain first?" asked Piedmon wearing a wicked grin.

"You're not getting a hold of the Digidestined!" yelled GranLocomon ramming into Piedmon. Piedmon was throw into the distance with GranLocomon looking ready to fight. "Go kids, I'll hold him back"

"But GranLocomon" protested Michelle.

"Just go, the Destiny Gate is at the top of this tower. If you can get you're tags and crests up there first, you can seal the Destiny Gate shut forever" instructed GranLocomon before dashing off toward Piedmon.

"We must hurry kids; Spiral Tower is a maze of traps designed by Piedmon himself. We must move quickly if we hope to get to the top before Piedmon gets all of you" said Wizardmon running across stage toward the double door. A wave of his wand caused the twin doors to open, giving the team access to the tower's interior. The Digidestined and their partners proceeded into the tower leaving GranLocomon to fend off Piedmon

"This doesn't look so bad" said Kayla looking around the tower's first floor. All the first floor contained was a few tall pillars and a long red carpet leading up to another set of white double doors.

"We must hurry" said Wizardmon leading the way.

"Wait a second" spoke Cody suddenly as he pulled out his Digivice.

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

"Take my crest and go," said Cody pulling off his tag and crest then tossing the item to TJ. "We'll hold back Piedmon"

"But GranLocomon could…" began Ann.

"GranLocomon has never fought a Dark Master. Let's face it, he won't hold him back for very long. Once Piedmon appears here, we'll hold him back for as long as we can." said Cody.

"Or beat his butt to a pulp, whatever comes first" said WarGreymon confidently.

"Cody…" started Kayla.

"We'll be fine; now get going before the clown prince shows up" ordered Cody. With no way of changing their leaders mind, the remaining team members reluctantly headed up the stair case and into the set of double doors.

"Albert, hold on for a sec" said Cody.

"Need something Cody?" asked Albert.

"Want us to fight with you?" added Gaomon.

"No, we'll handle the fighting, just do me a huge favor, in case I don't see you all again or if things get to rough, protect Kayla and get her home safely" spoke Cody.

"Don't worry, Kayla will be safe with us" said Gaomon confidently.

"You can still come with us or better yet, we can all fight Piedmon together and…" started Albert.

"Right now, sealing the Destiny Gate to keep that sicko out of the human world is our first priority. Piedmon has to be strong since he's been created from the darkness here in the Digital World. Even if we beat him, I have the feeling that all that darkness will only form another new enemy. There has to be a way to fully get rid of that darkness forever." explained Cody.

"I get it, you think the Destiny Gate has that type of power" said Albert.

"Yep, that's why I need you to find out a way to do that and protect Kayla should worse come to worse." said Cody.

"Alright, I'll do that but you could still…" began Albert.

"Knock knock, anybody home!" yelled Piedmon opening the entrance doors wide open. Piedmon then held up the keychain version of GranLocomon along with the Leomon Keychain next to it.

"Albert, go!" yelled Cody.

"Right" nodded Albert entering the set of doors behind him.

"Ah, the leader of the team wants to play with me first, how fun this will be" laughed Piedmon.

"You're going down clown!" shouted WarGreymon dashing toward Piedmon.

"Oh please, Trump Sword" said Piedmon pulling the swords off his back then flinging the blades toward WarGreymon. WarGreymon used his shield to deflect the blades but was surprised to feel no impact from the attack.

"Where are the swords?" questioned WarGreymon.

"Some of his swords are only an illusion" shouted Cody watching the battle.

"It's no fun if you can see through my trick" frowned Piedmon. Piedmon snapped his fingers causing two more swords to appear and dart toward WarGreymon. The impact from the two real swords sent WarGreymon stumbling across the ground for a few steps.

"Try this one on for size, Mega Claw" said WarGreymon forming his orange cyclone. WarGreymon took off toward Piedmon at full speed.

"Clown Trick" said Piedmon forming another twister spinning in the opposite direction from his palm. The two attacks canceled each other out, causing WarGreymon to fall onto the ground. WarGreymon quickly regained his ground, glaring at Piedmon.

"Let's see you hold back this attack, Terra Force!" shouted WarGreymon summoning a giant orange orb of molten energy in his hands..

"Looks like you're having a ball, Clown Trick" said Piedmon clapping his hands. A big blue ball appeared below WarGreymon causing the Digimon to slip and drop his attack. The attack hit the ground below and blew WarGreymon across the room to Cody's side.

"You alright buddy?" asked Cody.

"Yeah, I'm fine." replied WarGreymon pulling himself off the ground.

"Great, now go take out… where'd that clown go?" asked Cody looking around the room.

"This has been fun but it's time for you two to go bye-bye" said Piedmon appearing behind the duo. Before they could fight back, Piedmon threw two white cloths over them. Piedmon laughed as he pulled away each cloth and collected his two new key chains.

"You can go on my backpack" laughed Piedmon looking over the WarGreymon keychain. He then turned his attention to the Cody keychain "And now that I have you I have your crests power… wait a second where is it"

Piedmon frantically looked over both white sheets before letting out a small sigh and laugh "Well, well… you're more resourceful than I thought but I should have expected as much from the leader of the Digidestined. If you don't have your tag and crest, I bet your friends have them. I'll just have to get them all one by one till I collect all the tags and crests. Oh, and I'll be sure to make your little sister's visit to Spiral Tower be memorable. After all, she sees this place every night in her nightmares."


	97. Ch 97 Hide and Seek

_**Ch. 97 Hide and Seek**_

Albert and Gaomon continued running up another set of stairs. The doorways from the first floor lead the pair to a long hallway with nothing but more stairs leading up to the next level of Spiral Tower. Once they reached the top of the stairway, they found yet another white doorway leading into the second floor. Albert and Gaomon passed through the doorway to find the other members of the Digidestined looking over a massive pool of water with many circular platforms floating atop the water's surface. The pool water glowed in an eerie blue color from a faint light at the bottom of the pool.

"The next doorway is on the other side of this pool" said Wizardmon pointing to another white doorway on the other side of the room.

"Think it's safe to jump on those platforms?" asked Ann.

"Only one way to find out" said TJ. TJ readied himself then leapt onto a nearby floating platform. Once he landed, the platform shook a bit the steadied itself. TJ gave a quick thumbs up sign to show that the platform was safe then continued to make his way to the doorway on the other side of the room.

"Looks like it's safe" said Veemon before joining his partner by leaping onto the platform TJ was currently standing on.

"Right behind you" said Winona following behind Veemon. The Digidestined team and their partners began to make their way across the pool one by one, heading for the only exit.

"How long you think we got until Piedmon catches up?" asked Javi landing on the platform before him. Before anybody could respond, the entrance doorway swung open revealing Piedmon and his keychain collection now proudly worn around his waist.

"You had to ask didn't you?" sighed Monodramon.

"You kiddies wanted to go for a swim huh? Well then, everybody in the pool, Clown Trick!" laughed Piedmon aiming his hands toward the water. Waves began to appear on the water, shaking all the platforms and stopping the Digidestine's advancement.

"Gabumon…" started Michelle.

"Leave this to me" said Gabumon leaping into the air.

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… MetalGarurumon_

"Ice Wolf Bite!" cried MetalGarurumon launching his barrage of missiles around the room. Each missile collided with the water freezing it solid.

"Just run across the ice guys, we'll hold him back" said Michelle before quickly tossing her tag and crest to TJ. TJ caught the items and placed them around his neck then quickly lead the team to the towers third level.

"So, I get to play with you two now" said Piedmon overlooking the pair.

"Always wanted a chew toy, Metal Wolf Claw!" bellowed MetalGarurumon launching a beam of blue energy straight toward Piedmon.

"I think you need to cool it, Clown Trick" sneered Piedmon reflecting the beam back toward MetalGarurumon and freezing the metallic wolf solid.

"Oh no" said Michelle in despair.

"Now that your dog is chilling, you can come be a keychain" laughed Piedmon throwing two white clothes over MetalGarurumon and Michelle. Once Piedmon pulled off the clothes, the duo was now nothing but a set of key chains.

--

"Great, this looks like fun" mocked Javi looking over the third floor's main chamber. The third floor only contained one long stone bridge situated over a pit of lava below. The walkway of the bridge had many tiles displaying a variety of symbols on their surfaces.

"It's just a bridge, how bad can it be?" asked Ann placing her foot on one of the bridge's tiles. The tile Ann began to place her weight over immediately fell into the molten pit below; leaving Ann frozen in place till Hawkmon pulled her back.

"Good thing you didn't up your full weight on it or you'd be toast" said Hawkmon watching the tile melt by the lava's extreme heat.

"This looks familiar" spoke Gaomon.

"It's the same trap Barbamon had in his domain only now we're crossing over a bridge" pointed out Renamon.

"In that case, we know that only these tiles are safe" said Albert pointing to a specific tile on the bridge. TJ placed his full weight on the tile Albert pointed out to find that it remained still. The Digidestined team made their way across the bridge slowly but surely. Once the team made it half way across the bridge, Piedmon appeared behind them.

"Who wants to be next?" questioned Piedmon with a slight laugh.

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

"That would be me but I'm not gonna be turned into a keychain" said Gallantmon confidently.

"Take this just in case" said Andrew handing Albert his tag and crest.

"Let's move guys" said TJ leading the team safely across the bridge andthrough the room's exit.

"Lightning Joust!" yelled Gallantmon taking aim with his lance. A bolt of lightning darted toward Piedmon swiftly.

"Trump Sword" said Piedmon using his swords to block the lightning bolt attack. Piedmon then threw the blades toward Gallantmon knocking the knight Digimon back a few steps and causing a few more tile to fall into the lava below.

"Careful Gallantmon!" shouted Andrew.

"Yes, do be careful, you wouldn't want to get burned. Clown Trick" laughed Piedmon throwing several flames toward Gallantmon. Gallantmon quickly raise his shield and blocked the barrage of flames.

"That all you got?" mocked Gallantmon.

"That's all I need, good bye" laughed Piedmon. Gallantmon looked up to see a white cloth fall over him and with that, the battle was finished.

--

"This just isn't fair" whined Kayla. Spiral Tower's forth floor had nothing but a twin set of swings hanging over a bottomless pit below.

"Think of it like a set of swings in a play ground" smiled Lopmon.

"I can help you kids across" said Renamon gracefully leaping into the air and grabbing one of the swings. Renamon hung from the swing by her legs and outstretched her arms for the Digidestined to grab for passage across the pit.

_Salamon Digivolved to… Gatomon_

"And I can help the Digimon across" added Gatomon jumping onto the second swing and moving in rhythm with Renamon while keeping the same body position on the swing.

The Digidestined and their Digimon partners were moved one by one from one side of the room to the other by both Renamon and Gatomon. Hawkmon could easily fly over the pit and carry the lighter Digimon. Wizardmon finished the transition allowing Gatomon and Renamon time to rejoin their partners. Gatomon reverted back to the Salamon form and leapt into Brandi's arms.

"You guys really need to lose some weight" giggled the Digimon.

"Oh children…" laughed Piedmon appearing in the entrance way.

"A battle in the air is just my thing" smiled Hawkmon.

_Hawkmon Warp Digivolved to… Phoenixmon_

"Get moving guys" said Ann handing TJ her tag and crest. The Digidestined moved onto the fifth floor of the tower leaving Ann and Phoenixmon to fight Piedmon.

"Starlight Explosion!" bellowed Phoenixmon flapping her massive wings and creating a mist of golden colored glitter.

"You kids make this too easy, Clown Trick" said Piedmon outstretching his hands and creating a massive gust of wind blowing the glitter toward Phoenixmon. Phoenixmon was hit with her own attack, paralyzing the Digimon in mid air.

"Now then…" began Piedmon pulling out two more white handkerchiefs from his sleeve. Ann could only watch in horror as both her and Phoenixmon were turned into key chains.


	98. Ch 98 The Remaining Few

_**Ch. 98 The Remaining Few**_

TJ, Veemon, Brandi, Salamon, Javi, Monodramon, Albert, Gaomon, Winona, Renamon, Kayla, Lopmon, and Wizardmon continued their ascent up Spiral Tower. Piedmon had already taken four Digidestined and their partner's captive, still looking to add to his collection of key chains. The group reached the tower's fifth floor to find the room modeled after a carousel.

"Why does this place have to get creepier and creepier?" sighed Javi.

"Piedmon should really think about redecorating this place" added Monodramon.

"I'll get on that" laughed Piedmon entering the room.

"Ann and Phoenixmon didn't hold him back for long" growled TJ.

"Who wants to go for a spin, Clown Trick" said Piedmon aiming his hands toward the center of the carousel room. The entire room began to rotate, moving slowly at first then increasing in speed with each turn.

"Time to take down the clown" said Javi grasping his Digivice.

"Right behind you buddy" said Monodramon getting ready to battle.

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

"Justice Burst" shouted Justimon taking aim with his arm cannon and taking several shots at Piedmon. Piedmon evaded each attach with ease, using his surroundings to avoid each energy shot.

"We got him, just keep going" said Javi handing TJ his tag and crest.

"This way kids, if we plan the rotations just right, we can move up to the next level" said Wizardmon leading the team to the edge of the room. Once the opportunity arose, the team exited the room leaving Javi and Monodramon to deal with Piedmon.

"Round and round and round we go, where I am, you'll never know" mocked Piedmon throwing his voice throughout the room.

"He's in here somewhere" pointed out Javi.

"What was your first clue?" said Justimon.

"Trump Sword" shouted Piedmon throwing his swords toward Justimon at full speed.

"Voltage Blade" cried Justimon using his glowing blue saber to cut through the attack.

"To your left!" yelled Javi.

"Right, Justice Burst" said Justimon shooting several more energy shots toward his left side. The shots hit their mark leaving nothing but a cloud of smoke. "I got him"

"No, I've got you" laughed Piedmon throwing one of his cloths on Justimon and other on Javi.

"I have half the set down, only one half to go" smiled Piedmon holding up his new key chains.

--

"What's with the mirrors?" asked Veemon knocking on the mirror before him. The entire sixth floor of Spiral Tower was covered with mirrors making a large maze for the team to traverse through.

"Piedmon must be hoping for us to get lost in here so that he can pick us off" replied TJ.

"There's a happy though" sighed Gaomon.

"Let's just get out of here, this place is giving me the creeps" shuttered Winona. The team moved through the maze as quickly as they could. The repeating images made it difficult to find a clear pathway through the twisting labyrinth of mirrors.

"Oh Digidestined, I can see you" laughed Piedmon. The team was startled by the image of Piedmon appearing on all the mirror's surfaces. "Now which one is the real me?"

"Anybody have a plan?" asked Kayla clinging onto Lopmon.

"Leave this to me" said Renamon.

_Renamon Warp Digivolved to… Sakuyamon_

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon holding up her staff. Four fox spirits appeared around Sakuyamon then darted off into the maze. "They'll find and hold back Piedmon while you all look for an exit."

"Just get to the top before he can catch up" said Winona handing her tag and crest to Albert.

"Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" spoke Sakuyamon as she made two swipes with her staff. The purple rings Sakuyamon created shattered several on the mirrors in the room while also revealing the exit to the tower's seventh floor. The four spirits Sakuyamon sent throughout the maze collided into one of the mirrors revealing Piedmon.

"Good luck you two" said Veemon while he and the remaining team members made a break for the door.

"Looks like you'll be having bad luck for quiet sometime" said Piedmon.

"We don't believe in bad luck" put Sakuyamon bluntly.

"Only in good luck" added Winona.

"Trump Sword!" yelled Piedmon throwing his swords toward Sakuyamon. Sakuyamon used her staff to block the attack only to find that most of the swords were fakes and would disappeared with only a single swing of her staff.

"Watching you fight air is fun and all but I must be on my way" said Piedmon throwing two more white sheets into the air.

"They're probably just fakes like the swords" said Winona.

"All we have to do is dodge them" smiled Sakuyamon.

"Try dodging this then" laughed Piedmon snapping his fingers. The two sheets suddenly burst into many sheets as they floated down to the ground. Sakuyamon and Winona stood no chance against rain of cloths and were soon turned into key chains to be added to Piedmon's collection.

--

"Figures Piedmon would have another stage in his tower" groaned Brandi.

"Quiet!' barked Gaomon.

"Want Piedmon to figure out where we're hiding?" added Albert. The group found that the seventh floor of Spiral Tower contained a large stage, massive curtains, and several rows of seats. A small trap door on the edge of the stage gave the remaining Digidestined a place to hide beneath the stage while Piedmon continued to search for them above.

"Anybody in here" asked Piedmon appearing on the tower's seventh floor. The group remained quiet, as long as they remained silent under the stage, Piedmon couldn't find them.

"Let's see, if I were a Digidestined rat, where would I hide?" continued Piedmon walking around the stage.

"I think we're safe" whispered Veemon.

"I'd hide in here" laughed Piedmon ramming one of his swords into the stage floor. The blade just barely missed Veemon and caused the Digidestined team to scramble around their hiding spot for a way out.

"Come out come out where ever you are" laughed Piedmon as he continued to ram his swords into the stage.

"This way kids" said Wizardmon waving to another white doorway, hidden beneath the stage.

"Wait a second" said Brandi.

_Salamon Warp Digivolved to… Ophanimon_

"Sefirot Crystals" yelled Ophanimon bursting from beneath the stage and hurling her crystals toward Piedmon.

"Go!" screamed Brandi tossing her tag and crest to Albert. The group headed for the doorway while Brandi climbed out from beneath the stage to watch the battle between Piedmon and Ophanimon.

"Oh my, aren't we the angels of the theater" smiled Piedmon wickedly.

"You don't know the half of it" glared Brandi.

"Eden's Javelin" cried Ophanimon throwing her golden colored javelin toward Piedmon. Piedmon caught the weapon then hurled it back toward Ophanimon who, in turn, dodged the attack.

"Trump Sword" said Piedmon throwing one of his swords toward the stage's rafters.

"That the best you can do?" questioned Ophanimon.

"Ready to call it quits?" mocked Brandi.

"Actually, I would say that it's curtains for you two." smiled Piedmon. Before Brandi and Ophanimon could figure out what happened, one long white sheet fell from the rafters above, catching the duo and turning them into key chains.

--

Spiral Tower's eighth floor surprised the remaining Digidestined. There were no tricks or traps, just one final set of stairs leading up to a massive doorway. Several tapestries hung from the rooms ceiling bearing the Dark Seals.

"The Destiny Gate must be through there" said Wizardmon.

"Yeah," said TJ looking at the doorway. He then turned his attention toward Kayla and Albert "The rest will be up to you two"

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

"We'll handle Piedmon here while you two figure out how to seal the Destiny Gate and get rid of Piedmon once and for all" said UlforceVeedramon.

"But TJ" began Kayla.

"We can still make it to the top and set things right together. You don't have to…" started Albert.

"My goal was just to get at least you two up to the top of Spiral Tower. You're probably gonna need these" spoke TJ handing Albert all the tags and crests from the fallen Digidestined along with his tag and crest. TJ then took Cody's tag and crest and placed it around Kayla's neck. "You're brother's one of the bravest leaders and best friends a person could ask for. As long as you wear his tag and crest, that same bravery will help you Kayla"

"We can all still make it together" said Lopmon.

"You children need to move. Once you find the Destiny Gate, hold up all the tags and crest and wish for the gate to close forever. That will ensure that Piedmon, or any other evil Digimon, cannot enter the human world ever again." explained Wizardmon as readied his staff.

"You too Wizardmon?" asked Gaomon.

"My job is also complete, guiding you all here was my only goal. I will join TJ and UlforceVeedramon to hold back Piedmon for as long as possible."

"Nothing we say will change your minds?" questioned Albert.

"Nope" laughed UlforceVeedramon.

"Then we better go then Kayla" sighed Albert.

"Be careful and good luck children of light" said Wizardmon.

"Right" nodded Albert taking Kayla's hand then leading her up the last stair case and through the final door.

"Is this it buddy?" asked UlforceVeedramon.

"I don't know everything lies in their hands now" said TJ looking at the final doorway. If TJ was going down, he was going down fighting.


	99. Ch 99 Last Stand

_**Ch. 99 Last Stand**_

Albert, Kayla, Gaomon, and Lopmon passed through the final doorway to find themselves onto Spiral Tower's roof top. Only one more staircase was left for the pair to climb. The stairway made its way into the dark skies, leading to a platform seamlessly floating in the bleak sky.

"Looks like we still have one more set of stairs to go" sighed Albert.

"I don't think I can climb anymore stairs, or go through another trap" panted Kayla.

"But we have to keep moving Kayla" said Lopmon.

"We have to reach the Destiny Gate before Piedmon can catch us. Every minute Tj can buy us only puts us that much closer to stopping Piedmon" added Gaomon.

"But… I'm so tired" said Kayla.

"Here…" began Albert kneeling down before Kayla "I'll carry you to the top on my back"

"Alright" smiled Kayla climbing onto Albert's back. Once Kayla settled herself, Albert gazed up at the final staircase before him.

"Almost there, let's move guys" spoke Albert leading the way.

"Right" nodded Lopmon and Gaomon in unison.

--

"So, you two think you can stop me? If my memory serves me correctly, already seven of your buddies tried that same strategy and failed." laughed Piedmon. The Dark Master had finally reached the eight floor of Spiral Tower. All that stood between him and his sick desires was TJ, UlforceVeedramon and Wizardmon.

"We're gonna make you pay for turning our friends into key chains" growled TJ.

"You'll be joining them shortly either way. Why don't you just give up? Ever think your friends like being key chains?" asked Piedmon.

"You poor excuse for a Digimon, how could you cause so much damage to our world?" glared UlforceVeedramon.

"You mean my world? I despised seeing all the Digital World's potential being wasted on those who seek the light and happiness. All the power this world has to offer is mine to rule over and soon, I will rule over the human world." said Piedmon.

"You're gonna have to get through us to do that" barked Wizardmon.

"You're of no use to anybody anymore so you can just be quiet" said Piedmon throwing a white sheet toward Wizardmon. The attack came so fast that Wizardmon had no time to react. Once the sheet fully covered Wizardmon, Piedmon called back his cloth and claimed his new keychain.

"Now then, shall we begin?" asked Piedmon readying his swords.

"Bring it" challenged UlforceVeedramon.

"Trump Sword!" cried Piedmon throwing his twin blades directly toward UlforceVeedramon.

"Ulforce Saber" shouted UlforceVeedramon using his glowing blue saber to reflect the swords. The swords returned to Piedmon who then used them to attack UlforceVeedramon head on. The pair met each other's attacks blow for blow.

"Ray of Victory" said UlforceVeedramon taking a quick shot at Piedmon with his golden ray of energy.

"Clown Trick" laughed Piedmon redirecting the attack to a nearby pillar with a slight sway of his hand. Piedmon then took his sword and stuck UlforceVeedramon on his side sending the Digimon rolling onto the floor. "Ready to give up?"

"Never, Ulforce Saber!" cried UlforceVeedramon recollecting himself and darting for Piedmon. Piedmon let out a small yawn then held out his palm.

"Clown Trick" laughed Piedmon. UlforceVeedramon suddenly froze in place, then was lifted off the ground. Piedmon moved his arm to the left sending UlforceVeedramon flying into a pillar. Piedmon continued to move his arm in every direction causing UlforceVeedramon to collide with everything in the room.

"Come on buddy, fight back!" yelled TJ.

"This is fun but you two are boring me" frowned Piedmon throwing UlforceVeedramon toward TJ. The Digimon collided with his human partner sending the pair tumbling across the floor. Piedmon began to approach the pair slowly pulling out another set of white cloths.

"Albert, Kayla... I hope we bought you enough time" thought TJ struggling to get up along with his partner. Last thing TJ saw was a white sheet being thrown over him and UlforceVeedramon.

--

"Almost there guys" said Lopmon hopping up to the top of the staircase.

"We'd better hurry up, move it Albert" said Gaomon reaching the top then watching his partner slowly climb the stairs.

"You try carrying a small child on your back along with several pieces of metal around your neck up a flight of stairs" panted Albert The group finally climbed to the top of the stairwell and reached the floating platform. The platform was rather large and contained a small alter situated before the Destiny Gate, currently connected on the edge of the platform.

"We made it" smiled Kayla jumping off Albert's back and running over to the Destiny Gate. Albert, Gaomon, and Lopmon followed Kayla to the edge of the platform and Destiny Gate.

"How do we seal it though?" asked Gaomon looking over the enormous gateway.

"Maybe this alter has a clue" said Lopmon looking over the strange alter. The group gathered around the alter to examine it closely. The alter was constructed out of solid gold, circular in shape , had foul legs holding it up, and bore both the dark seals and crest symbols on its surface. All the symbols encircled a series of strange writing on the center of the alter.

"What does it say?" questioned Kayla.

"No idea, Wizardmon would always translate stuff like this for us, can you guys read it?" asked Albert looking over to Gaomon and Lopmon.

"Nope" frowned Lopmon.

"Sorry" shrugged Gaomon.

"Allow me to translate for you" said Piedmon appearing from the staircase.

"Piedmon!" said the group together.

"It says that once both darkness and light are brought together before the Destiny Gate, then either side will get one desire granted. Only one who is pure in either the force of darkness or light can have their wish granted. I must say how proud of you two I am. I always knew it would be either one of you two that would reach the top of Spiral Tower. You even brought me all the crests" laughed Piedmon. His laughter grew louder and louder, becoming more and more uncontrollable.

"That laugh…" began Kayla.

"You've been the one haunting both our dreams haven't you? That whole dream was to show us your sick game wasn't it?" barked Albert.

"Guilty as charged, I used my powers to manipulate both of your dreams so that you could see these events. You knew this day was coming but refused to believe it would happen. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to make that dream come true by destroying you two." said Piedmon holding up his hand. All eight seals of darkness appeared over his head then floated to the Destiny Gate, illuminating the spots they occupied on the gates surface.

"You're a nut job, you know that right?" glared Gaomon.

"Say what you want but this is where all you're adventures end. I have already added the powers of darkness to the gate and now only required the powers of light. I don't care if you become key chains to add to my collection or not. All I want to do now is dispose of the remaining two Digidestined and fulfill my true destiny" roared Piedmon. The platform began to rumble and shake, destroying the staircase and trapping Albert and Kayla.

"You won't lay a finger on them" yelled Lopmon taking a battle stance.

"We been chosen to protect them and we'll always protect them until the end" barked Gaomon joining Lopmon.

"If you think your gonna get away with all this, your wrong" said Kayla with confidence.

"We'll end this, we'll save our friends, we'll protect both worlds from darkness no matter what happens!" yelled Albert.

"Then let's get this show going" laughed Piedmon pulling out his swords. The time had come for the forces of light and darkness to meet head on.


	100. Ch 100 Big Finale

_**Ch. 100 Big Finale**_

_Lopmon Warp Digivolved to… Cherubimon_

_Gaomon Ward Digivolved to… MirageGaogamon_

"Double Crescent Barrage" yelled MirageGaogamon making a quick swipe with both his claws and sending a flurry of white energy blades toward Piedmon. Piedmon dodged each blade with ease laughing as each blade missed him.

"Lightning Spear" cried Cherubimon creating a bolt of lightning in his palm then hurling the bolt toward Piedmon. The Dark Master knocked the attack away with one quick wave of his hand.

"That all you got?" laughed Piedmon.

"He's strong" growled Cherubimon.

"Really strong" added MirageGaogamon.

"Please tell me you have a plan Albert" said Kayla nervously.

"Working on it" said Albert.

"Let's have some fun here. Trump Sword" spoke Piedmon throwing his blades into the air. The swords soon multiplied causing a rain of sharp blades to fall upon the Digimon pair.

"Double Crescent Barrage" yelled MirageGaogamon using his attack to stop the rain of swords. The attack went straight through most of the swords but did destroy a few of the real blades.

"Lightning Spear" added Cherubimon using his attack to dispel the remaining swords.

"Well that was boring" groaned Piedmon.

"We're coming for you next Piedmon!" roared both Digimon as they charged for Piedmon.

"Yes, let the show continue, Clown Trick" laughed Piedmon, forming a gold colored ring in one hand and a bone in the other. Piedmon threw the ring toward Cherubimon binding the Digimon's legs together and tripping the Digimon. "I always wanted a lucky rabbit's foot"

"You'll pay for that one" glared MirageGaogamon continuing his charge.

"Aww, does the doggie want a bone?" laughed Piedmon throwing the bone toward MirageGaogamon. The bone grew more and more until it was larger than MirageGaogamon himself. MirageGaogamon took the full force of the collision and was sent tumbling across the ground.

"Now for you two" said Piedmon turning toward Albert and Kayla.

"What do we do?" asked Kayla in a panic.

"Still working on it" replied Albert.

"Who wants to be first, how about you little girl?" suggested Piedmon pulling out two more white cloths from his sleeves.

"You're not getting Kayla, unless you go through me" glared Albert pushing Kayla behind him.

"So brave and yet so naïve" said Piedmon as he began to approach the two Digidestined.

"Double Crescent…" began MirageGaogamon.

"Bad dog, Trump Sword!" yelled Piedmon throwing his two swords at MirageGaogamon, piercing MirageGaogamon's armor and halting his attack. MirageGaogamon fell to the ground, holding the spot where the swords had cut through.

"MirageGaogamon!" cried Albert.

"Why must you keep interfering with my plans? How about you all be good little pests and just give up?" sneered Piedmon.

"Never," growled Cherubimon helping MirageGaogamon up off the ground.

"Our family, friends, and a whole lot of other people and Digimon are counting on us to save the worlds. We won't give up" added Kayla taking a spot next to Albert.

"If we fall here, darkness will consume everything we hold dear. Us Digidestined will never let that happen" continued Albert.

"Us Digidestined? Only you two brats and your pathetic partners remain. How could you even hope to stop me without all the Digidestined united?" questioned Piedmon still wearing his wicked smile.

"They're still here with us." barked Kayla.

"You might have captured them and turned them into key chains but their spirits are always with us" said Albert holding out all the crests around his neck. Kayla joined in by holding out hers and Cody's crests.

"Those won't do you any good. Only the chosen Digidestined can get those crests to glow. The Destiny Gate would never open unless all the crests are glowing or those holding the crests have fallen to darkness." smiled Piedmon.

"You don't get it do you?" spoke Cherubimon.

"Our friends are always with us. Their power is ours and ours theirs" said MirageGaogamon.

"We all have TJ's Trust, Ann's Faith, Javi's Harmony, Winona's Wisdom, Andrew's Honesty, Michelle's Compassion, Brandi's Affection…" began Albert.

"My Virtue, my brother's Valor, and even Albert's Purity" finished Kayla. All the Digidestine's tags and crests began to glow together along with their respective spots on the Destiny Gate.

"What are you doing? How is this possible?" questioned Piedmon is disbelief.

"I think somebody needs to see the light." smiled MirageGaogamon feeling his strength returning to him.

"Time to bring on the big finale" grinned Cherubimon.

"Bring it you worthless Digimon, once I get rid of you remaining pests, I'll have all that I need to have my desires come true. Trump Sword" roared Piedmon throwing a barrage of blades toward the Digimon duo.

"Double Crescent Barrage" cried MirageGaogamon using his attack to stop the onslaught of swords. MirageGaogamon then rushed toward Piedmon through the storm of attacks and made one quick slash with his massive claw, knocking the Dark Master to the edge of the platform. Piedmon regained his ground and found his keychain collection missing. MirageGaogamon just let out a smile and opened his palm "Looking for these?"

"My key chains" said Piedmon in shock.

"They're ours now" laughed Albert taking the key chains from his partner.

"Clown Trick" yelled Piedmon throwing his hands into the air.

"That won't work this time, Storm of Judgment" bellowed Cherubimon throwing her hands into the air. A ring of clouds soon formed overhead and struck Piedmon repeatedly with bolts of lightning. Piedmon let out a cry of pain with each hit before finally collapsing to the ground.

"You did it Cherubimon, you stopped Piedmon" cheered Kayla.

"Not likely…" moaned Piedmon collecting himself off the ground "… you brats don't see it. Even if I'm destroyed, there will always be darker Digimon bent on plunging both worlds into darkness"

"That's true but you kinda told me how to fix that problem." smiled Albert. Albert turned to face Destiny Gate "I am one of the ten chosen Digidestined selected to protect both the Digital World and Human World from darkness. My single desire is to see light retuned to both these worlds."

"Please hear us, helps us stop the darkness and save both worlds" added Kayla facing the Destiny Gate.

The Destiny Gate began to rumble and shake as all the symbols on its surface began to glow brightly. The doors of the Gateway began to open slowly revealing a bright white light, blinding everyone on the platform. Albert and Kayla looked toward Piedmon to see the Dark Master shielding his eyes from the light.

"You won't stop me. You can never stop the true Master of Darkness" laughed Piedmon looking into the Destiny Gate's light. The gateway suddenly began to pull everything toward the light with a strong gust of wind. Albert grabbed Kayla tightly and knelt close to the ground, trying to avoid being pulled into the gateway.

"I think the gate's giving us a way to stop Piedmon" said Cherubimon.

"I'll never head toward the light fools" laughed Piedmon.

"We'll see about that, Full Moon Blaster" bellowed MirageGaogamon opening his chest plate and calling out his cannon. The cannon began to collect energy then shot of a beam of pure white light aimed directly for Piedmon. The blast struck Piedmon directly and sent the evil Digimon hurling for the gateway.

"No… It can't end like this… No!" screamed Piedmon passing through the gateway. The gate's doors then shut themselves quickly leaving nothing but silence to fall.

"Did we do it?" asked Kayla.

"Looks like it" assured Cherubimon.

"So then it's over? No more Piedmon?" asked Albert.

"Let's see, no maniacal laughter, no more annoying puns, no more people being turned into key chains… I'd say we're done" grinned MirageGaogamon.

"Then we…" started Kayla turning to Albert.

"We did it… we stopped Piedmon!" smiled Albert turning to Kayla. The two Digidestined cheered along with their two partners, the end of the Dark Master's had finally come.

"_So even my darkest of minions have fallen before the Digidestined. Those kids have been a throne in my side ever since they first entered the Digital World. The time has come for me to deal with those pests and end their wretched lives once and for all"_


	101. Ch 101 Evil’s True Form

_**Ch. 101 Evil's True Form**_

"Not to spoil this moment or anything but…" began MirageGaogamon.

"How are we gonna help the others return to normal?" finished Cherubimon.

"Well if the tags and crests fixed one problem…" started Albert.

"They can fix another" smiled Kayla. Albert and Kayla placed all the key chains on the alter set before the Destiny Gate. Suddenly, all the tags and crests began to glow in their respective colors giving off a radiant light. All the key chains began to glow as they changed form and grow in size. Once the light subsided all the Digidestined were restored to normal, along Leomon, GranLocomon, and Wizardmon.

"Ok… what just happened?" asked Cody confused.

"Cody!" exclaimed Kayla hugging her brother tightly.

"How come I feel like carrying keys?" questioned Javi.

"They're back to normal alright" smiled Albert.

"Wait a second, where's Piedmon? Is he still…" started TJ suddenly.

"He's finally seen the light" grinned Cherubimon.

"All he needed was a little push towards it" laughed MirageGaogamon.

"So then that means you two defeated Piedmon?" asked UlforceVeedramon.

"Yep" said Cherubimon and MirageGaogamon in unison with pride.

"Excellent, I expected nothing less for you two" said Leomon.

"Thanks" said Albert and Kayla together.

"So what now?" questioned Brandi.

"With Piedmon gone, all the darkness should have left the Digital World forever right?" said Winona.

"Yes, that is the belief. All you kids need to do is seal the Destiny Gate" answered Wizardmon.

"Then let's do it" said Cody. Albert handed all the Digidestined their tags back while Kayla returned Cody's tag and crest. The team then assembled before the Destiny Gate and held up their tags and crests before the gateway. All the crests began to glow along with the symbols on the Destiny Gate. The doors on the gateway began to open slowly revealing a white light.

"I can't believe our adventures are finally coming to an end" said Ann in relief.

"Yeah, we can finally end all the fighting" added Michelle.

"And bring peace to both worlds" spoke Andrew.

"You kids should be proud of what you accomplished" said WarGreymon.

"You all have been given the experience of a lifetime" continued Gallantmon.

"And all you had to do was travel to a Digital World inside a computer" laughed Justimon.

"Something's amiss" said Sakuyamon suddenly, gazing into the now fully open Destiny Gate.

"I can feel a malevolent force resonating from inside the gate" spoke Ophanimon. The bright light emitted from the gateway suddenly turned solid black, sending wave after wave of dark energy into the skies above.

"Hold on guys" said Phoenixmon protecting Ann.

"This fight isn't over yet" barked MetalGarurumon.

"This wasn't part of the prophecy" said Wizardmon.

"When does anything ever go according to some dumb old writing" groaned GranLocomon.

The dark energy began to surround the Digidestined, separating them from Leomon, Wizardmon, and GranLocomon. The energy lifted the team off the ground and pulled them into the darkness inside the gate.

"Kids" shouted Leomon but it was too late, the Destiny Gate sealed itself with the Digidestined trapped behind it.

--

The Digidestined and their partners fell deeper and deeper into the darkness. The fall seemed endless until the group suddenly stopped, floating in an endless black abyss. The group looked around the void to find nothing but a few white dots scattered around like stars and a few areas seeming to be warped by red and blue energy.

"Where are we?" asked Brandi.

"Somewhere in the Destiny Gate, I think" answered Albert.

"Everybody alright?" asked WarGreymon looking over the Digidestined.

"Yeah, we're fine for the most part" replied Ann.

"Speak for yourself, I think I'm gonna hurl" said Javi holding his stomach.

"Oh, we've been through worse" sighed Michelle.

"Hey guys, what's that?" questioned TJ pointing to a black blob in the distance. The splotch was amorphous, squirming and changing into multiple shapes.

"Be on guard everyone" said Gallantmon.

"Oh children… it's been awhile" echoed an all too familiar voice for the older Digidestined.

"Wait, is that… it couldn't be…" stuttered Andrew.

"NeoDevimon" growled MetalGarurumon. The black blob began to change forms, reconstructing the form of NeoDevimon.

"It's been far too long Digidestined, you even found another Digidestined to join your little team" said NeoDevimon.

"How can you still be alive, we destroyed you a long time ago" glared Cody.

"Yes, you did defeat me but, I have a little secret to tell you." began NeoDevimon as his body began to make several convulsions. The NeoDevimon form soon changed into the form of Myotismon.

"I'm more than one single Digimon. In fact, I am many Digimon" sneered Myotismon as his form began to change into his VenomMyotismon one.

"You see, you fought back the darkness many times but that same darkness you repelled would only come back to reform into something new" laughed VenomMyotismon changing forms once again. This time the black blob split into seven smaller blobs, each one changing into one of the Seven Demon Lords.

"I've only been sending you the same darkness over and over to do my bidding since I cannot enter the Digital World. Creating these puppets was the only way for me to spread my darkness over the worlds" spoke Lucemon. The Seven Demon Lords forms combined into one larger form, creating Lucemon Chaos Mode.

"These puppets have come so close to beating you ten Digidestined but they have failed every time." roared Lucemon's Chaos Mode. The mighty dragon returned back to the blob form then recreated all four Dark Masters.

"Now it is time for me to have some fun with you all. I've been trapped in this prison since the beginning of the Digital World. Prepare Digidestined to see evil's one true form" laughed Piedmon.

All the dark masters returned to their black masses of darkness and began to recreate a new form, one the team had never seen before. A body began to form from the mass colored a pale blue color, with long arms, sharp looking red claws, and hideous white hair. The Digimon wore a set or black arm bands, a long black cape, a black helmet with yellow markings, and had a pair of sinister looking yellow eyes beneath the helmet. The rest of the dark mass began to form another body below the humanoid body. This body resembled a giant polyhedron of sorts with many metal claws appearing from each surface of the polyhedron.

"And you would be…" began Cody.

"Such insolence, how can you not know of me, the greatest Digimon to ever be created." barked the unknown Digimon.

"Apocalymon, a mega level unidentified Digimon? That's a new one, the D-Dex doesn't even mention any attacks… guess this guy was meant to be forgotten" spoke Albert reading his D-Dex.

"Yes, I am Apocalymon, the Overlord of all Darkness to ever befall the Digital World" spoke Apocalymon.

"We've heard that one before" sighed Justimon.

"Silence! I have been created from all the data of forgotten Digimon. Digimon who just weren't up to the challenge of Digivolution." spoke Apocalymon.

"That's so sad" frowned Ann.

"Sure, rub it in why don't you. Even the Digimon Sovereigns feared me, so much that they had to seal me away in here, between the dimensions where I could cause no harm" said Apocalymon, sounding a bit sad.

"Aw, you're life hasn't been a very good one has it?" asked Kayla sympathetically.

"Darkness, they feared the darkness I created. As the ages past, I searched for ways to spread my darkness across the Digital World. It was then that I found out how to create my own Digimon born from my own form. This allowed me a small glimpse at what would be mine one day. Through my own creation's eyes, I could see my destiny until you Digidestined showed up. You have ruined everything. No matter what I sent out, you destroyed it but that all ends today. Today, I will finally defeat you" roared Apocalymon holding out his arms. The area above the Digidestined and the area below the Digidestined began to split apart.

"Is that Earth?" asked Winona in dismay looking below her feet. An image of the Earth could be seen opening far below the team.

"If that's Earth then is that the Digital World?" questioned Michelle pointing above the team. An image of a shattered Digital World could be seen forming way above the Digidestined.

"In my solitude, I knew that I had to find a way to enter the Digital World and the Human World so by using the energy sealed away in this abyss I must call home; I learned how to rip open holes in both space and time. Now I can take over two worlds at once" laughed Apocalymon.

"You're gonna have to get through us to do that" challenged UlforceVeedramon.

"I was hoping you would say that. Now Digidestined, fight me, give my miserable life a purpose" shouted Apocalymon.


	102. Ch 102 Beginning of the End

_**Ch. 102 Beginning of the End**_

Back on Earth, the skies began to grow dark above the city of Lake View. All the towns' citizens gathered in the center of the city and watched the skies. Several images could be seen coming into view. The Digidestined, their partners, and Apocalymon soon came into view for all the people in Lake View to see. Even in the Digital World, the same event began to occur right over the Destiny Gate way allowing Wizardmon, Leomon, and GranLocomon to watch the Digidestine's battle.

"I never seen a Digimon like that before" said Leomon examining the image of Apocalymon.

"Me neither, and I've traveled the whole Digital World" added GranLocomon.

"That's Apocalymon, the ancient prophecies foretell of a Digimon created but not allowed to enter the Digital World for fear of the damage he could bring. His very existence can warp dimensions." explained Wizardmon. "We must hope that the Digidestined can defeat him and restore peace"

"They will do it, they are the chosen ones" said Leomon confidently.

--

"Before we begin children, I have a question" said Apocalymon suddenly.

"Never had a request like that before, shoot" replied Cody.

"Do you think I'm worthy of living along side other Digimon?" questioned Apocalymon.

"Yeah, sure, you are a Digimon after all and you belong in the Digital World." responded Kayla.

"Then why must I live here in darkness? Why must my life be so miserable? Why do you all get to live and play in the light while I suffer in darkness? Why do you get to taste the best life can offer while I must choke down its leftovers?" moaned Apocalymon.

"Well, if you think about it, even back on Earth some creatures became extinct and faded from existence. By looking at natural selection…" explained Winona.

"Silence!" roared Apocalymon cutting off Winona. "Those were rhetorical questions"

"No need to be so snippy" barked Michelle.

"I've lived here long enough. Between dimensions, never to truly exists but that ends today. Today is my time to shine!" laughed Apocalymon opening his hands. Several waves of energy sprung out from his lower body sending the Digidestined and their partners flying backward into the darkness.

"Everybody alright?" asked TJ collecting himself and looking over the team.

"I think so" replied Brandi.

"Forget Piedmon, this guy's an even bigger nut job" said Javi recovering from the attack.

"He's still a Digimon which means we can destroy him" said WarGreymon.

"Then you guys know what to do. Show this guy how strong we are" spoke Cody.

"Right" replied the entire Digimon team in unison. The entire Digimon partner team began to fly toward Apocalymon at full speed.

"Let's see how strong you are Terra Force" yelled WarGreymon summoning his molten orb.

"Ray of Victory!" cried UlforceVeedramon as the v mark on his chest plate began to glow. The two Digimon launched their attacks at the same time, aiming for the main body of Apocalymon.

"Time for a blast from the past, Venom Infusion" laughed Apocalymon as one of his metal claws began to move. The claw changed forms to create a black silhouette of VenomMyotismon. Several multicolored beams of energy shot off from the VenomMyotismon form and collided with both WarGreymon's and UlforceVeedramon's attack, destroying them.

"How did he do that?" asked Andrew in shock.

"Lightning Joust" shouted Gallantmon taking aim with his lance. A bolt of electricity began to burst out from the tip of the lance and head straight for Apocalymon.

"Lightning Spear" added Cherubimon creating a bolt of lightning in his hands and flinging it toward Apocalymon.

"Crimson Lightning" said Apocalymon as one of his many metal claws began to form Myotismon's silhouette. The form created a string of crimson colored energy and batted the attacks away with one swipe.

"Ok… that didn't work" said Ann in dismay.

"Eden's Javelin" said Ophanimon throwing her golden javelin toward Apocalymon.

"Nazar Nail" said Apocalymon using his claw to form Lilithmon. The image knocked the Javelin into the dark void with one single hit.

"Let's see you stop this one, Justice Burst" cried Justimon taking several shots at Apocalymon with his arm cannon.

"Double Impact" spoke Apocalymon recreating the form of Beelzemon with one of his claws. The Beelzemon image pulled out a set of shotguns and fired for each of Justimon's energy shots, intercepting the attacks and dispelling them.

"Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" chanted Sakuyamon creating two purple rings with her staff and sending them toward Apocalymon's lower body.

"Let's just overwhelm him, Crimson Flame!" shouted Phoenixmon sending a stream of searing hot flames toward Apocalymon.

"Here's a hit I'm sure you all remember, Giga Cannon" grinned Apocalymon created Machinedramon's form with one of his many claws. The silhouette shot off two twin beams of pure energy and destroyed both attacks with ease.

"Metal Wolf Claw" yelled MetalGarurumon launching his blue color energy beam directly toward Apocalymon.

"River of Power" smiled Apocalymon as the form of MetalSeadramon appeared on one of the metal claws. The attack emerged from Apocalymon's claw and struck MetalGarurumon's attack, nullifying each other.

"Double Crescent Barrage" bellowed MirageGaogamon hurling his many white energy blades toward Apocalymon.

"Trump Sword" laughed Apocalymon manically as the silhouette of Piedmon appeared and used his swords to destroy all the blades MirageGaogamon had created. "This is so much fun, I don't remember a time I ever felt this good. Wait a minute, that's because I've never felt this good"

"I get it now, he doesn't have any attacks cause he just copies all the attacks of the evil Digimon he created" examined Albert.

"Great, so how do we beat it?" asked Cody.

"How can we, it's like fighting every single Digimon we've ever beaten before all over again." said Ann in despair.

"We can't just give up" barked TJ.

"Oh, I'll help you all give up" smiled Apocalymon holding out his hands. All the metal claws on Apocalymon's lower body sprung out suddenly and grabbed all the Digimon partners. "Now for you to become one step close to non-existence, Reverse Evolution"

"What's he doing?" questioned Brandi.

Apocalymon's claws reopened and revealed the entire group of partner Digimon back in their rookie forms. Apocalymon just looked over the group and laughed "How does it feel to be back on the lowest end of the food chain?"

"He sent them back to their rookie forms" spoke Andrew.

"Anyone wanna make a plan now?" asked Veemon as he and the other Digimon rejoined with their human partners.

"Other than panic, not really" frowned Kayla.

"Don't worry Kayla, we can still beat him" assured Lopmon.

"But how?" asked Ann.

"Just start from scratch and Digivolve back to the mega level for round two" smiled Cody.

"That'll do it, let's get going guys" said Agumon preparing for battle. All the Digidestined pulled out their Digivices, tags, and crests to prepare to start over from the beginning. All the items began to glow, illuminating the black abyss they were floating in.

"Not this time Digidestined" said Apocalymon. Apocalymon used all of his claws to catch the entire Digidestined team and their partners. Each member of the Digidestined team and their respective partners were captured in one of Apocalymon's metal claws. Each captured pair tried frantically to escape but felt their energy fleeing them. It wasn't long until the entire group was sound asleep in their own prisons.

"I did it, I beat the Digidestined. Oh my loyal minions, if only you could feel this great accomplishment oh but what is this, you can. We finally have the Digidestined and their crests at our mercy. The time has come for both the Human and Digital World's to fall to darkness" cried out Apocalymon. Apocalymon's laughter could be heard throughout the worlds, causing fear to spread to all who heard. With the only hope for salvation gone, the worlds began t o tremble as they awaited their grim fates.


	103. Ch 103 Once Was Lost

_**Ch. 103 Once Was Lost**_

Michelle walked around the halls of an unknown hospital, alone. There were a few nurse and doctors walking around but they all ignored her presence. She couldn't help but feel that she was forgetting something while she strolled through the busy halls until she reached the emergency room waiting area. Before Michelle could even continue examining her surroundings, an older looking mother came running into the room carrying a young boy. Blood was pouring from an open wound on the boy's arm. All the doctors and nurses just ignored the woman, still going on with their business.

"Please, please, somebody help my son… I just can't stop the bleeding" begged the mother.

Michelle stared at the woman and her son in fear. She knew what to do but was too afraid to try and help. Why nobody was helping the pair was beyond her comprehension.

"Please, he's my only son… my baby… please… somebody" cried the woman.

Michelle couldn't do it, she just couldn't summon the courage to help the pair. All she wanted to do right now was turn her back to them and run.

"_You can fight back against the darkness. just look for the light"_

"_I can't… the darkness is just too great"_

--

"Ugh, you stink" groaned Javi.

"I'm trying here. I'm just not as good as you" barked a voice.

Javi sat with a fellow musicians working on a piece of music while sitting on an empty stage. No matter how many times the pair played together, the music would always come out sounding terrible. Javi couldn't stand it. All this noise was driving him nuts.

"That's it, I'm finding someone else to play with. Someone that's better than you" growled Javi getting out of his seat.

"But, I'm still learning here you can't expect me to just know this stuff. I haven't even seen some of these notes" said the voice.

"You'll never learn how to play. Just give up and save the music world from a travesty" shouted Javi walking off the stage.

"_Don't give up!"_

"_It's too strong, the darkness is just too strong."_

--

"Let's see that dress with my hair in that style and those pieces of jewelry to top it all off" said Brandi pointing to various pictures that lay before her. Brandi happily sat in a dressing room while her attendants catered to her every whim. Whatever Brandi wanted, she got.

"You're concert starts at eight Brandi, oh, and the girl from the contest is here for her back stage visit" said one attendant reading off his clip board.

"Visit? I don't have time to meet with her. I have to make myself perfect for the show tonight" replied Brandi looking into a nearby mirror.

"She's been dying to meet you. She keeps going on and on about how you're music helped her get over her parents deaths. Her life has been anything but…" began the attendant.

"But I have to get ready for the show, she can wait" said Brandi fixing her hair.

"_You can always find the light if you just look hard enough"_

"_I can't see it, I just can't see the light"_

--

Andrew was sitting in a classroom along with many other students, working on an assignment. Andrew looked down at his paper so that he could begin working on it. A jolt of fear ran down his back once he overlooked the paper. He couldn't understand a single word of it.

"Need help?" asked a nearby student seeing Andrews confused face.

"No, I can understand this" lied Andrew.

"You sure? It can be confusing at first but once you get the basics…"

"I got it, I can understand it" replied Andrew, annoyed.

The student just shrugged and returned to their work. Andrew continued looking at the assignment panicking. He was gonna fail if he didn't figure out something quick.

"_Fight it, you can fight it, you're strong"_

"_I'm just too weak to fight against the darkness"_

--

"Are you sure this is safe to do?" asked Ann. Ann stood on the edge of a cliff holding onto a hang glider. The hang glider looked a little ragged but was still safe to use according to the female instructor. She slowly looked over the edge of the cliff to see a long drop down to a forest below.

"Whenever you're ready, just leap off the cliff and the wind will pick up the glider allowing you to fly for a few moments" guided the instructor.

"But the glider doesn't feel safe" said Ann nervously.

"Look, the glider is old but very reliable, just have a little faith" assured the instructor.

"I can do this, I'll die if I do this" said Ann, now terrified. There was no way in heaven or earth that she would trust her life to an old hang glider.

"_Remember what you learned a long time ago. Just focus on something happy and you can find the light"_

"_I can't think of anything happy right now. I'm just too scared to focus."_

--

Winona sat in the middle of a library, rows and rows of books surrounding her. She was content to be all alone with the books. No people around her meant that nobody was around to bother her reading. She could indulge herself with all the books at her disposal.

"Excuse me ma'am, can you help me" asked a soft voice. Winona put down the book she was reading and turn to see a young girl looking at her. "I'm looking for a book on foxes. Can you help me find one or tell me what you know about them?"

"You're in a library; there has to been something here on that. Just go look" said Winona returning to her book. Winona did know a thing or two about foxes but just wanted to return to her book in peace.

"But, I tried and I can't find anything. Can you help me?" pleaded the girl.

"No, I'm trying to do some reading, go ask someone else" said Winona coldly. The girl just lowered her head and began to look over all the books by herself, Winona happy to finally have some peace again.

"_Don't worry Kayla, I'll keep all the darkness away from you while you focus on something happy" smiled Lopmon._

"_Alright, I'll try" said Kayla closing her eyes. She thought about all her adventures in the Digital World, all the friends she made, and most importantly the bond between her, Lopmon, and her big brother. "I can see it, I can see the light"_

"_That's great Kayla now let's find a way out of here" said Lopmon. Kayla felt her crest beginning to glow and saw a pink light appear in the distance. Kayla and Lopmon headed for the pink light, hoping to find the others._

--

TJ desperately hung from the edge of a cliff, using all his strength to hold himself up. A dense fog surrounded him, making visibility extremely low. He tried so hard to find a place to regain his footing but couldn't locate a single spot to regain his ground. TJ could feel all his strength leaving him as he dangled from the cliff side.

"TJ, grab my hand. I can pull you up" echoed a familiar voice. TJ recognized the voice but couldn't figure out who it belonged to.

"I can't, if I let go with even just one of my hands, I'll fall" shouted TJ.

"You won't fall. I'll grab your hand before that happens. All you have to do is give me your hand" said the voice.

"I can't do it…" struggled TJ.

"Yes you can all you have to do is trust me" said the voice. TJ continued to hang there on the cliff helplessly, trying to find some way to pull himself up.

"_You're stronger than you think. You've saved the others many times. They need your help, just fight back against the darkness"_

"_I can't, I'm just scared and weak ok!"_

--

Cody stood alone in the middle of a large circle, surrounded by hundreds of dark, shadowy figures. The only light in the room came from a small lantern hanging from the ceiling. The flame in the lantern would flicker every now and then, surrounding Cody in darkness for a few moments.

"Look at the mighty leader of the Digidestined" laughed one voice.

"He's so pathetic" sneered another.

"Shut up!" yelled Cody.

"He let his entire team be taken in by Apocalymon. How will his team ever believe in him again?" mocked a voice.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" roared Cody, his body beginning to tremble.

"Look at him, he's shaking in fear"

"Just leave me alone! I… I…" stuttered Cody searching for the right words to say.

"Loser… loser… loser…" chanted the crowd of figures. Cody just grabbed his head, trying to ignore the voices. He couldn't fight it; he knew that he was just too scared to fight back.

"_Snap out of it Albert! Now just listen to me, you have always been strong, strong enough to save your friends from their worst nightmares, strong enough to stop Myotismon, and heck you were even strong enough to stand up to Piedmon and destroy him." cried Gaomon._

"_But, those were all flukes" frowned Albert._

"_No they weren't, you did those all on your own. You were chosen to hold the crest of purity because only you can fight the darkness. It's ok to be scared of the darkness, just stand up to it and I'll do the rest." smiled Gaomon._

_Albert just let out a small smile "Thanks buddy, you've never let me down and I'll never do the same to you."_

_A glow of white light could bee seen forming in the distance as Albert's crest began to glow brighter and brighter. With a quick nod, Albert and Gaomon began to head for the light, ready for whatever may occur next._

_--_

Kayla and Lopmon soon made their way to the pink light only to find that they were stuck in another dark abyss. the only thing different was a stream of white light, gently pouring in from the area above. Kayla looked around until she notice two more figures heading toward her and Lopmon. Before long, she was able to recognize the two figures.

"Albert! Gaomon!" said Kayla relieve to see the pair.

"Kayla! Lopmon!" smiled Albert seeing the duo.

"Where are we?" asked Kayla.

"Who knows? It's like that other abyss Apocalymon is in but only bathed in light" observed Albert.

"Got a plan to get out of here?" asked Lopmon hopefully.

"We'd be out of here if he did" sighed Gaomon.

"Digidestined" echoed a serene voice.

"Who said that?" said Albert looking around.

"I will explain later but for now, you two must help the other Digidestined break free from Apocalymon's hold. You two have already broken free from his grasp and halted his collection of the crest's powers but this will not hold him back for long. You must hurry and save the other Digidestined"

"Can we trust that voice?" questioned Kayla.

"It's either that or let Apocalymon win and rule over the Digital and Human Worlds. Let's do it" spoke Albert.

"You're light will guide you to the others. Now go children" echoed the voice.

"Right" nodded Albert and Kayla. Two glowing paths appeared before the group, one in pink and the other in white. The two gave each other and sprinted down their respective paths with their loyal partners by their sides. It was time for them to reassemble the team and stop Apocalymon once and for all.


	104. Ch 104 But Now Am Found

_**Ch. 104 But Now Am Found**_

Michelle looked at the mother and son pair in complete terror. She couldn't move, even if she had wanted to. She could help the pair but if she were to mess up even one single step, the little boy would be in even more trouble.

"Please, somebody help my little boy. He's so young. I can't lose him. I couldn't bear it" cried the mother.

"Why don't you help him Michelle?" asked Kayla.

Michelle turned around in complete surprise to see Kayla smiling at her with Lopmon by her side. "Kayla, what are you doing here?"

"Helping out. You know what to do right?" smiled Kayla.

"I can't help them. I want to but I'm just too scared." frowned Michelle.

"I was scared but I faced my fear" said Kayla.

"That's how she was able to come here" added Lopmon.

"You're right, I just have to face my fear and help them out. My Crest of Compassion would be pretty useless if I didn't feel the need to help others" said Michelle, her crest beginning to glow. Michelle ran over to the woman's side and took the little boy into her arms. "Don't worry ma'am, I'll help your son. He'll be fixed up in no time"

"Oh thank you, thank you so much" said the woman. Before Michelle could begin, the entire area faded away leaving only Kayla, Lopmon, and Michelle floating in another dark abyss. Michelle looked down to find that she was now carrying Gabumon in her arms.

"You did it, you broke Apocalymon's hold" cheered Gabumon.

"I did do it didn't I. Thanks Kayla" said Michelle.

"It was nothing" smiled Kayla. Two more paths suddenly appeared in the darkness, one colored pink and the other orange.

"Looks like we still have a few others to help" said Lopmon. The group split up, following their own illuminated paths.

--

"Bet this guy couldn't tell an oboe from an elbow" grumbled Javi.

"Weren't you the one who said that he could find any harmony in music even if it's terrible." said Albert appearing next to Javi with Gaomon.

"Yeah but it's a…" started Javi.

"It's a lot better than when Etemon sung. Now that was a travesty" laughed Albert.

"Yeah, his singing could wake the dead and I guess I wouldn't have the Crest of Harmony if I couldn't find harmony in chaos" grinned Javi. "Wait a sec, what are you doing here?"

"I'll explain later, just go apologize and play with that guy" said Albert. Javi just nodded and returned to the stage to find the other musician trying to go through his music. Something sounded different this time, the music actually sounded nice.

"That sounds nice, a little shaky but nice" smiled Javi taking a seat.

"Really? You're not just saying that or anything?"

"Nope, you're getting there, now let's work on this together" said Javi picking up his trumpet. Before Javi could play a single note, the entire stage faded leaving him floating in a dark void, his crest glowing in a beautiful green color.

"I knew you would break free" smiled Monodramon.

"What just happened?" asked Javi, confused.

"Apocalymon, need I say more" said Gaomon. A glowing green path and a glowing white path appeared in the darkness for the Digidestined to follow.

"We got more work to do Javi. See you when we rescue the others" said Albert following the white path with Gaomon.

"Alright, I think. Never a dull moment huh Monodramon?" said Javi.

"Nope, that's what makes this place so much fun" replied Monodramon.

--

"You're on in five Brandi, you sure you don't have time to see that little girl?" asked the attendant.

"No, I have to get ready and I'm far from that" said Brandi still looking into the mirror.

"If you're sure then, I'll be waiting outside for you" frowned the attendant leaving Brandi.

"I think you should see that little girl Brandi" said Kayla playing with the makeup bottles.

"What? Kayla? How did you…" stuttered Brandi in shock.

"I'll tell you later or Albert can explain it when you see him. Don't you think you should be nice? It's kinda what you do best. Not play with all this makeup and jewelry even though it's very pretty" said Kayla.

"Yeah, the Crest of Affection does make me care for others and it wouldn't be very nice to ignore that poor girl. Bring her in" smiled Brandi.

"Already on it" said Lopmon opening the door with her ear. Once the door was fully open, Salamon came running into the room as it faded away into nothing. A glow of blue light from Brandi's crests created two more paths in the darkness.

"I was wondering when you'd break free" said Salamon.

"It was all thanks to Kayla… hey, where are you running off to!" yelled Brandi watching Kayla run down her pink colored path.

"I still have to help the others, just follow you're light and we'll meet up again later" answered Kayla. Brandi and Salamon just let out a smile and followed their path.

--

"What am I gonna do?" thought Andrew to himself, panicking as he looked at his assignment.

"You could just ask for help. Lying to yourself that you don't need it is just making the situation even worse" said Albert.

"Albert? But how did you get there?" stuttered Andrew looking at the seat behind him and finding Albert sitting there as if nothing seemed wrong.

"We'll talk about that later. Just stop lying to yourself and get help." said Gaomon appearing in the seat next to Albert.

"Ok, I guess lying only makes my Crest of Honesty useless" sighed Andrew, his crest glowing Andrew tapped his neighbors shoulder to ask for help. As his neighbor turned, everything in the room faded away while Guilmon appeared where Andrew's neighbor sat. The pair now stood on a grey colored pathway hovering above the darkness below.

"You could have asked sooner you know" laughed Guilmon.

"I know, just had to admit to myself there was something I didn't know." said Andrew.

"And with that we're off. Follow that path and we'll meet with you two later" said Albert as he and Gaomon headed down their path.

"Ready to go Guilmon?" asked Andrew.

"Yep, you have any food before we go though. I'm hungry" said Guilmon holding his stomach.

"I think you're appetite is bigger than this abyss" laughed Andrew.

--

"I can't do this, I can't do this" said Ann over and over.

"Everything looks scary at first. Just close your eyes and jump. The glider will keep you up" said Kayla.

"How did you… never mind, I can't trust my life to this old glider." frowned Ann.

"If other did it and lived so will you. Just have a little… what's the word?" asked Lopmon.

"Faith, have a little faith. If I didn't believe in others, my Crest of Faith wouldn't truly belong to me. Thanks guys, time to see why Hawkmon loves flying so much" smiled Ann. She closed her eyes and leapt off the cliff, holding on tightly to her glider. Little did she know that her crest was glowing in a brilliant yellow. Ann felt the glider slowly fade away. When she opened her eyes, Ann saw that she was standing on a yellow pathway with Hawkmon flying around her.

"See why I like flying so much?" laughed Hawkmon

"Now I do. Thanks Kayla" said Ann.

"Don't mention it, I'll see you in a bit, I think the others are still trapped" said Kayla as she and Lopmon followed their bright pink path. Hawkmon and Ann began their journey down the yellow path.

--

Winona happily read her books in peace. For all she knew, she had an entire eternity to read all the books. Winona could see the little girl still trying to find her book on foxes out the corner of her eye.

"I don't think she can read very well. Why don't you share your knowledge with her?" suggested Kayla.

"I'm busy…" said Winona. Winona, suddenly realizing that Kayla appeared next to her, put her book down "How did you get in here?"

"Long story, I'll tell it to you if you go help that girl" smiled Kayla.

"Are you withholding information from me" asked Winona.

"More like sharing what we know with what you know. That's how you learn isn't it?" questioned Lopmon.

"The exchange of information… that is how we learn. At least that's how I learn at least which is why I have the Crest of Wisdom. Alright, I'll help her out" said Winona getting out of her seat and walking over to the girl. "Need help?"

"I sure do, I can't read any of this" frowned the girl.

"I'll help you out, I might know a few things about foxes" smiled Winona as her crest's purple light began to shine. The whole library faded away leaving Winona standing on a purple pathway.

"What's going on?" asked Winona confused.

"Apocalymon tried to make you lose sight of why you have your crest. Thanks to Kayla here, you broke free from his control" said Renamon appearing behind Winona.

"That's why we are here. We need to go now; the others are still in danger." said Kayla as her and Lopmon turned to their path and began their trip.

"Learn something?" grinned Renamon.

"Nothing that I didn't know already" smiled Winona.

--

"Can't… hold on… much longer" panted TJ cling onto the cliff with every ounce of strength in his body.

"Just grab my hand, I'll pull you up" pleaded the voice.

"I can't, I'll fall" responded TJ.

"When have you ever doubted others?" asked Albert.

"Albert, is that you?" asked TJ.

"Yep, it's me. Gaomon and somebody else that you know are here too. We want to help you but you have to help yourself first by reaching up here." said Albert.

"I don't think I have the strength to reach up for long" replied TJ.

"Don't worry about that, we'll grab you before you fall" assured Gaomon.

"Alright, I'll try. I'm trusting you guys. Crest of Trust, don't fail me now" said TJ. He quickly threw up his right arm upward into the dense fog. TJ felt himself slipping but was soon relieved to feel something grab his arm. The light from TJ's crest dispelled the fog revealing Albert, Gaomon, and Veemon pulling TJ up the cliff. Once TJ had been completely pull up, the area faded away leaving TJ sitting on a teal colored pathway with Veemon and Albert with Gaomon standing on a white pathway.

"Thanks guys" panted TJ collecting his strength.

"Told you that you could trust me" said Veemon with a smile.

"No prob, just follow that path way and you'll find the others. I'll meet with you guys later. One more person needs our help" said Albert following his pathway.

"Alright, tell Cody I said don't give up" laughed TJ.

"Was it that obvious?" asked Gaomon.

"Last one is usually the leader" said Albert. "Which also means he's gonna need the most help to save"


	105. Ch 105 Blind But Now

_**Ch. 105 Blind But Now**_

"Loser… loser… loser…" chanted all the voices in unison. Cody fell to his knees holding his head, trying to block out all the voices laughing and mocking him. He was completely surrounded by the shadows with no sign of escape to be found.

"Just shut up!" yelled Cody.

"Aww… is the leader finally ready to admit that he's a wimp?" mocked one voice.

"How about that he's a coward?" mocked another.

"Or that he's just not cut out to be a leader, living a lie since day one" laughed a voice.

"Just leave me alone!" barked Cody.

"Admit it, admit that you're nothing but a pathetic coward!" sneered one of the shadows.

"He's not a coward!" shouted Kayla. She and Lopmon appeared right next to Cody, throwing their arms out as if protecting him.

"Sis?" asked Cody slowly looking up to his sister.

"He's not a coward or a loser. He's the best leader and big brother ever" cried Kayla.

"What do you know? You're just a little girl that nobody wants" replied another shadow.

"She's wanted by her family and friends" barked Lopmon.

"She's done nothing but hold your team back since the first day she was picked as a Digidestined. She's just as pathetic as that wimp" growled on voice.

"Picking on a little girl, what a way to make yourself feel so tough." spoke Albert as he and Gaomon appeared alongside Cody. "Are you gonna steal her lunch money now too?"

"Albert?" said Cody surprised,

"Ah, another weakling of the group, always afraid of the dark. Do you sleep with a nightlight?" mocked one voice.

"Actually he has something better, me, you got a problem with it?" asked Gaomon taking a battle stance.

"How about all you shadows go back into you're little hole so we can be on our way." said Albert.

"Isn't this nice, the two biggest babies come to defend their pathetic leader" laughed a voice.

"You better back off" said Cody getting up off the ground and clenching his fists. Cody's crest began to glow in a fierce red color "Anybody who messes with my little sister or my best friend has to deal with me. As long as the Crest of Valor runs its power through me, nothing will hold me back from fighting bullies like you"

"And how are you gonna stop us?" mocked a voices.

"He'll leave that one to me, Pepper Breath!" yelled Agumon bursting through the shadows and using his attack to send the dark figures away. The entire area began to fade away leaving the Digidestined trio standing on a glowing red pathway.

"How did you guys save me?" questioned Cody.

"We didn't do much, you did most of the work" explained Lopmon.

"All you had to do was face the darkness head on to be set free from Apocalymon's hold" added Gaomon.

"All we did was give you a little push in the right direction" finished Albert.

"Thanks guys," smiled Cody.

"No time to thank us now" said Kayla suddenly.

"Now that you're free, we can finally take out Apocalymon" said Agumon.

"Right, let's go find the others then" said Cody.

"All we have to do is follow the light" said Albert pointing to the long red pathway. The trio gave a quick nod to each other then began to run down the red pathway. Now that the Digidestine's leader had been freed from Apocalymon's grasp, the final fight could finally begin.

--

The freed Digidestined and their partners waited patiently in the dark abyss for their remaining team members to return. They grouped together in the center of the darkness, beneath the stream of light pouring in from area above.

"What's keeping them?" asked Ann.

"Seems like they've been gone for awhile now" added Brandi.

"I wouldn't worry about it" spoke Andrew.

"They're probably on their way here already" assured TJ.

"I hope Cody is ok. I doubt Apocalymon would just free him without a fight" said Michelle, worried.

"Knowing Albert and Kayla, they're probably giving Apocalymon a run for his money" smiled Javi.

"Guess we can ask them how it went then, here they come" said Winona pointing into the distance. The trio could be seen running through the darkness towards the other Digidestined. Once they reached the group, the Digidestined team huddled together to figure out away to defeat Apocalymon.

"How can we beat every enemy we've ever fought before all at once?" thought Salamon.

"Their attacks are even stronger now that Apocalymon is controlling them" added Renamon.

"We'd need to outsmart them all over again" pointed out Gabumon.

"We did it before" said Guilmon.

"And we can do it again. Not like all those enemies were so smart in the first place" laughed Monodramon.

"All we have to do is plow right through them again" said Veemon with confidence.

"We just have to get out of here first" said Agumon.

"Digidestined…" spoke a soft voice.

"What was that?" asked Lopmon looking around the abyss.

"Show yourself" barked Gaomon.

"Do not fear me Digidestined; my name is Fanglongmon, the leader of the Digimon Sovereigns." echoed the voice. "Apocalymon has trapped us within this flux of dimensions. I'm using all my strength to communicate with you currently and help you break free"

"Ok, and you can do that by…" began Javi.

"Ah Javi, the funny one of the group, always full of jokes. There is a way to break out of Apocalymon's hold by awakening from your slumber" answered Fanglongmon.

"Wait a second, we're asleep? This is all a dream?" said Winona in shock.

"In a manner of speaking yes, Apocalymon is only containing you in slumber to drain the crests power from you. If you all can awaken together, you'll stop the draining process. To do that, you'll need two to light the way for you" spoke Fanglongmon.

"Two to light the way?" repeated Brandi confused.

"My strength is fading Digidestined, you must hurry. I can tell you much more information if you can stop Apocalymon and free us. Please hurry Digidestined… and good luck" said Fanglongmon as his voice faded away.

"Great, now what?" groaned Monodramon.

"Isn't it obvious?" smiled TJ.

"Two to light the way, in other words the two who can see through darkness." continued Cody.

"Albert and Kayla" finished Ann.

"Just do your thing guys" said Michelle.

"Any idea what they mean Albert?" asked Kayla.

"Nope but by now I've learned just to wing it and everything works out in the end" laughed Albert.

"Just do what the others did and focus on your crests true power." instructed Gaomon.

"Ok, so if my Crest of Virtue can guide me through the darkness" said Kayla her crest glowing in a bright pink.

"And if my Crest of Purity can light the darkness then…" started Albert as his crest began to glow in an immaculate white color.

"They can light the way together as one" said the pair together. The lights from their crests began to glow brighter and brighter blinding the team and scattering the darkness in the abyss. The team could feel something surging through them, something to guide them out of Apocalymon's grasp.

--

"And now, I'll warp both worlds into one and conquer everything at once" laughed Apocalymon. "And now puny humans prepare to be… wait a minute, what's this I'm feeling. It couldn't be…"

Apocalymon's metal claws burst open in a flash of different colored lights. Ten streaks of light surrounded Apocalymon for a few moments, and then joined together as one before the Dark Lord. The streams of light faded revealing the ten chosen Digidestined, looking ready to battle.

"But how did you break free? There is no possible way that you could have…" stuttered Apocalymon. Apocalymon looked over the team and saw Albert and Kayla smiling before he realized what truly happened "You two brats, I felt that you were causing trouble but I chose to ignore you for I believe that you would eventually fall under my control. I guess you two will be the first I destroy then"

"If you want them then you want all of us" said TJ.

"Apocalymon, you're going down for good this time!" yelled Cody. The final battle between the darkness and the light was about to start. The fate of two worlds now hanging in the balance.


	106. Ch 106 To Save Two Worlds

_**Ch. 106 To Save Two Worlds**_

"Now guys, Digivolve!" yelled all the Digidestined together as one.

_Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon_

_Veemon Warp Digivolved to… UlforceVeedramon_

_Hawkmon Warp Digivolved to… Phoenixmon_

_Monodramon Warp Digivolved to… Justimon_

_Renamon Warp Digivolved to… Sakuyamon_

_Guilmon Warp Digivolved to… Gallantmon_

_Gabumon Warp Digivolved to… MetalGarurumon_

_Salamon Warp Digivolved to… Ophanimon_

_Lopmon Warp Digivolved to… Cherubimon_

_Gaomon Warp Digivolved to… MirageGaogamon_

"You can't beat me!" roared Apocalymon.

"The bigger they are…" started UlforceVeedramon

"The harder they fall" finished WarGreymon with a grin.

"So be it, you all will be destroyed. Giga Cannon" yelled Apocalymon creating a Machinedramon silhouette with one of his many metal claws. The silhouette fired two twin beams of pure energy toward the Digidestined at full power.

"Shield of the Just" cried Gallantmon holding up his shield. A golden beam of energy was emitted from the shield stopping Apocalymon's attack midway.

"Let's see you stop this one, Grisly Wing" laughed Apocalymon creating a Myotismon figure with his metal claws. The figure opened its cape and sent a wave of small bats toward Gallantmon.

"Starlight Explosion" shouted Phoenixmon flapping her wings gently, releasing a golden glitter and stopping the wave of bats.

"Cauda!" cried Apocalymon forming the figure of Leviamon. The figure made one quick swipe with its massive snout and sent several column of water toward the Digidestined.

"Sefirot Crystals" chanted Ophanimon extending her palms. Several small crystals appeared before her then went flying toward the columns of water. Each crystal stopped the columns of water with ease leaving Apocalymon speechless.

"You can't defeat me Digidestined, Evil Inferno" bellowed Apocalymon creating a Daemon figure. The figure sent out several streams of black flames toward the Digimon team at once.

"Spirit Strike" chanted Sakuyamon summoning her fox spirits. Each spirit darted off toward each stream of fire and dispelled it with a single hit.

"River of Power" bellowed Apocalymon recreating Metal Seadramon's form and sending the energy beam toward the group.

"Metal Wolf Claw" cried MetalGarurumon meeting the attack head on with his own freezing beam of energy. The two attacks canceled each other out upon impact.

"Puppet Pummel" yelled Apocalymon forming a Puppetmon figure in his metal claw. The figure quickly pulled out its hammer and sent a stream of small energy orbs raining onto the Digimon partners.

"Justice Burst" shouted Justimon using his arm cannon to stop the attack with his own barrage of blue energy orbs.

"Stun Claw!" cried Apocalymon reforming NeoDevimon's form with his claw. The figure sent out a stream of smaller claws toward the group.

"Mega Claw" responded WarGreymon using his cyclone attack to stop the claws before they could even reach the Digidestined.

"Gift of Darkness" bellowed Apocalymon recreating Belphemon's silhouette. The figure held out its hand and sent a stream of black energy toward the Digimon team.

"Ray of Victory!" said UlforceVeedramon using his ray of golden energy to destroy the oncoming stream of darkness.

"Venom Infusion!" hollered Apocalymon making a VenomMyotismon figure with his claw. The figure sent out a solid, multicolored beam of energy flying toward the Digidestined.

"Lightning Spear" spoke Cherubimon stopping the beam with a single bolt of lightning.

"Virus Grenade" roared Apocalymon opening the lower section of his body to send a stream of small black bombs toward the team.

"Double Crescent Barrage" shouted MirageGaogamon stopping the storm of grenades with his own storm of white energy blades.

"This cannot be. My darkness cannot be stopped Digidestined" yelled Apocalymon into the darkness of the void.

"He's right; he can just keep recreating all those attacks over and over again. We're gonna wear down faster than he does" observed Winona.

"Well then, we just have to take out the source of those attacks" responded TJ.

"Which will give us the chance to attack the main body and take out Apocalymon for good." said Andrew.

"How about WarGreymon, Cherubimon, and MirageGaogamon go for the main body while the rest work on destroying the claws" suggested Albert.

"Sounds like a plan to me. You guys know what to do?" asked Cody looking up at all the Digimon partners.

"Yep, just leave it to us, charge!" cried WarGreymon flying toward Apocalymon at full speed with the entire Digimon team behind him..

"They're doomed" thought Apocalymon. Apocalymon raised one of his metal claws into the air then sent it hurling toward WarGreymon "This is where you all will fail"

"Yeah right, Ulforce Saber" cried UlforceVeedramon forming his glowing, teal colored saber with his gauntlet. UlforceVeedramon leapt into the air and stopped the metal claw by slicing straight through it. "Keep moving guys!"

"No one can stop me" said Apocalymon throwing another one of his claws toward the charging Digimon.

"Crimson Flame" bellowed Phoenixmon sending her stream of molten hot flames toward the claw and melting it into nothing "He can't win, no matter what"

"There is nothing that can match my power" yelled Apocalymon sending another claw toward the Digimon team.

"Well then try this one on for size, Voltage Blade" laughed Justimon using his glowing arm saber to cut through the claw with a single sweep. "You're toast now"

"I am all knowing, all powerful, all mighty" cried Apocalymon. Raising four of his claws high into the darkness of the abyss then sending the claws flying toward the group.

"This ends here, Twin Blades of Beauty and Truth" chanted Sakuyamon stopping one of the claws with her purple energy rings. "All the darkness cannot be allowed to escape"

"Eden's Javelin" cried Ophanimon hurling her golden javelin straight through the metal claw, destroying it as it passed through its surface "There are far too many depending on us to stop you"

"Ice Wolf Bite" continued MetalGarurumon with his barrage of small missiles. The attack completely froze another one of Apocalymon's claws which soon shattered soon after. "They all believe in us to stop the darkness from spreading"

"Lightning Joust" added Gallantmon using the surge of electricity from his lance to break through another one of Apocalymon's claws. "And we won't let them down"

"You Digidestined will fall before me! No force in either the Digital World or human world can even hope to match my power." roared Apocalymon.

"Is that right? Well then, fight against this, Storm of Judgment" bellowed Cherubimon throwing her hands into the air. A ring of clouds appeared above Apocalymon, striking the Digimon with a barrage of lightning bolts.

"You're darkness will no longer terrify those with pure hearts, Full Moon Cannon" cried MirageGaogamon opening his chest plate. A solid beam of white colored energy struck Apocalymon directly, leaving the evil Digimon paralyzed from the light.

"Time for you to say good-bye Apocalymon cause this attack will end everything for you, Terra Force!" yelled WarGreymon forming an orb of molten energy above his head. WarGreymon took his attack and rammed it into Apocalymon's main body, destroying it permanently and leaving only Apocalymon's lower body..

"Did they just…" began Brandi.

"Defeat Apocalymon? Yeah, they did" replied Ann, spellbound.

"So is it all over?" asked Michelle.

"I think it is" smiled Javi.

"Foolish Digidestined…" echoed Apocalymon's voice.

"Guess not" frowned Kayla.

"This guy just doesn't want to go down" said Andrew.

"You may have defeated me but I still have one more attack. Prepare for the end of both worlds, Total Annihilation!" roared Apocalymon's voice. Apocalymon's lower body began to collapse into itself creating a small white orb to appear. The orb began to grow bigger and bigger, absorbing anything in sight.

"He's going to destroy both the Digital World and human world with that attack unless we can stop it" said Winona frantically.

"We can't let that happen, we have to stop it" shouted TJ watching the orb continue to grow in size.

"A plan would be nice about now" said Albert.

"Guys, hold out your Digivices and pray for a miracle." yelled Cody taking out his Digivice and holding it up to the ever growing orb.

"What good is that gonna do" asked Winona, sounding annoyed.

"Just do it!" barked Albert "We've had so many adventures, so many journeys, and so many memories here in the Digital World to just let them all fade away forever. If there's one thing that we have learned here, it's that miracles can happen and will happen even in the darkest hours. So just hold up your Digivices and hope for a miracle"

The Digidestined each held out their Digivices to the growing mass of white energy. All the lives of the Digidestined, their partners, their families, and their friends now hanged on a single miracle to happen.


	107. Ch 107 The Legendary Digidestined

_**Ch. 107 The Legendary Digidestined**_

"It can't end like this" said Cody.

"We've come too far to let it all end this way" spoke TJ.

"We've had so many adventures and grown so close as a team" added Ann.

"There is still a lot we have left to see and learn" said Winona.

"This wasn't all for nothing" continued Andrew

"We were chosen because we have the power to stop this" spoke Brandi.

"We've always found a way to stop the darkness" said Michelle.

"No matter how strong our enemy was or how big they seemed" laughed Javi.

"Our lives, or destinies will always be linked to the Digital World" continued Albert.

"Cause after all…" began Kayla.

"We're the Digidestined!" shouted the team all together.

All the Digidestine's Digivices shot off a beam of light in their respective colors. The beams of light split up and encircled the growing orb of destruction, trapping it. The lights connected together creating a multicolored orb around the white orb stopping its expansion process. The multicolored orb then began to seal destruction orb until it vanished into the dark abyss. The Digidestined looked on in shock, not knowing if the worst was over.

"Well that's something you don't see everyday" said Javi, a bit spell bound.

"The explosion must have been stopped by the power of our Digivices" said Winona looking at her Digivice.

"So then it's truly over?" asked TJ.

"Looks that way unless some other evil Digimon wants to jump out and fight us" sighed Cody. At the exact moment, a large hole ripped through the dark void releasing a golden colored light.

"You just had to say something didn't you bro" glared Kayla. The hole grew bigger and bigger as a massive Digimon began to appear crawling through it. The Digimon resembled a komodo dragon of sorts, was colored a solid gold, had many spikes emerging from its back, and had eight red eyes along with twelve red orbs going down along its back, six on each side.

"So you want to fight then?" challenged WarGreymon.

"Always quick for a fight, you should really take a lesson from Albert and think about a situation before fighting." said the Digimon with a laugh.

"Wait, that voice, are you Fanglongmon?" asked Andrew.

"Yes Andrew, you were always one of the smart ones of the team" said Fanglongmon.

"So with you being here and all, does that mean that we're done?" questioned Brandi.

"Yes, you have finally defeated Apocalymon and freed the Digimon Sovereigns. Come Digidestined, there is much to discuss" said Fanglongmon. Fanglongmon's eyes began to glow in a bright red causing the groups partners to revert back to their rookie levels. Fanglongmon let out a loud roar, warping the group to a new location. The Digidestined and their partners now stood atop a golden platform covered with many symbols engraved on its surface, floating in an endless abyss of stars. The platform hovered above the shattered remains of the Digital World.

"Welcome back to the Digital World Digidestined" spoke Fanglongmon appearing before the group, hovering over the ruined Digital World below.

"The darkness is gone but the Digital World has seen better days" said Michelle looking down at the remains of the Digital World.

"This is true, the Digital World has taken much damage from the evil forces that wished to control it. My fellow Sovereigns will be working for a long time before they can return the Digital World to its former glory. However, in their current, weakened state, they may not even be able to fully restore the Digital World" spoke Fanglongmon "Anyway, would you kids care to hear why you were selected?"

"Sure, we've wanted to know that since the first day we got our Digivices" said Ann.

"And met our partners" added Kayla.

"Long ago, us Sovereigns watched over the Digital World and its inhabitants, ensuring that peace and light filled every piece of land within the Digital World. What we did not for see was the creation of Apocalymon or the darkness that he would spread. We did our best to seal Apocalymon away between dimensions but it was there that he was able to create his own minions and spread his darkness throughout the Digital World."

"So what happened next?" asked Javi.

"We soon realized that Apocalymon was growing strong and would soon try to take over the Digital World. It was then that we decided to seek out ten humans with specific traits in their heart that could properly harness the powers that we controlled. Zhuqiaomon of the South created the crests of Faith and Affection, Azulongmon of the East created the crests of Honesty and Compassion, Ebonwumon of the North created the crests of Harmony and Wisdom, Baihumon of the West created the crests of Trust and Valor, and I created the crests of Purity and Virtue. Once we created each crest, we then gave birth to ten Digimon who had these same traits embodied into their hearts, though they were Digieggs at the time"

"So then after that, all you had left to do was find a human that could control each crest right?" questioned Winona.

"Correct, each Sovereign searched for a child who had these same traits already set in their hearts. My fellow Sovereigns searched and searched for these children until they found a child that matched these traits. I however, had a difficult time finding two children with hearts that were pure enough to wield the Crests of Purity and Virtue. I had almost given up searching for these children until one day I found a boy with much sorrow in his heart. Oddly enough, though he was stricken with grief after losing a parent, his heart still seemed to be filled with light. It was on that day that I decided to name Albert the keeper of the Crest of Purity "

"What about me?" asked Kayla eagerly.

"After I found a keeper for the Crest of Purity, I almost believed that the Crest of Virtue would not be needed. It was when we Sovereigns displayed the human children that we wished to hold our powers that I found you Kayla. A very young girl with a heart as courageous as her brother's and yet still displayed a light that rivaled Albert's. I then decided to name you the holder of the Crest of Virtue. With all the children selected, we created a tag to hold each crest and a device to control the powers emitted from them. I believe you call it a Digivice"

"Yep, so why didn't Kayla meet her partner or get her Digivice when we did?" asked Andrew.

"Before we could make our final preparations, Apocalymon had succeeded in sending a few of his minions to the Digital World. Myotismon and NeoDevimon invaded our sanctuary in hopes to destroy all that we had created to fight back against Apocalymon. To ensure that the all crests did not fall into the wrong hands, we sealed the Crest of Virtue away along with the tenth Digivice. This seal could only have been broken by the powers of Valor and Purity. Once that had been completed, we scattered the crests all throughout the Digital World and entrusted the remaining Digivices, Tags, and chosen Digimon's Digieggs to Leomon and Wizardmon"

"Wait a second, those two knew about all this since the beginning?" said Cody suddenly.

"They only knew that they were to protect these items at all costs then help those who came to claim them. Wizardmon took the Tags and searched for the locations of the crests while Leomon took all the Digieggs and cared for them until the day came for them to hatch. Once this day came, Leomon left the Digivices with the Digimon for he knew that the time had come for them to grow on their own until they were ready to meet their human partners. Once the Digimon grew to the rookie level, the Digivices became active and were sent out along with their corresponding partners to be joined with their human partners. And the rest is history, as you kids would say" smiled Fanglongmon.

"So, that's how it all happened" nodded TJ.

"Yes, we watched you kids from the beginning as you learned how to control the powers of your Digivices and crests. We had hoped to stop Apocalymon ourselves but his darkness soon overpowered us which gave him the ability to split the Digital World into smaller sections and seal us away. From there, you kids rose to the occasion and stopped not only the freed Demon Lords but also the Dark Masters. Now that all evil has been purged from the Digital World, we can rebuild in hopes of spread light once more. However, with our strength nearly depleted, I fear that this road may be a long and hard one" spoke Fanglongmon.

"What if we gave you our crest powers to use?" suggested Albert.

"You did say that you guys were the ones who created them from your own powers. This could give you back all your strength" smiled Brandi.

"If you kids do this, all the power will leave your crests, making Digivolution to the Ultimate and Mega levels nearly impossible" spoke Fanglongmon.

"We won't need to Digivolve anymore with all the darkness gone" pointed out Agumon.

"We'd be happy to give you our strength so that you can rebuild the Digital World" added Veemon.

"I can see now that our selection in Digidestined and their Digimon was truly correct. If this is truly what you want, then hold out your crests to the sky" instructed Fanglongmon "You children do not have to do this though"

"We know but we want to" said Ann.

"For all the great memories and adventures you gave us, we have to repay you in some way" added Cody.

The Digidestined stood on the edge of the platform and held out their tags and crests to the sky. All the crests began to glow in unison before sending off a beam of light in their respective colors. The lights moved down to the Digital World ruins and began to run across the lands, causing them to combine back into one single world. The Digital World soon began to come together, reforming its oceans, mountains, prairies, cities, forests, skies, deserts, and everything in-between. The process left the Digidestined weakened. Their partners assisted in keeping their human friends standing.

"That should do it" panted Michelle.

"Hopefully, everything can go back to normal" continued TJ.

"As normal as things usually get there anyways" shrugged Andrew

"And if not, you know who to call" finished Javi.

"Think about it guys, we can come and go whenever we want and spend time with our partners without the worries of somebody evil trying to destroy us" cheered Kayla.

"I am sorry to tell you this Digidestined but in order to properly keep peace in the Digital World, I must seal the gateway in-between the worlds forever" said Fanglongmon.

"What did you say?" asked Winona in shock.

"I must seal the gateway from your world to this one. It is the only way to keep both worlds safe" repeated Fanglongmon with a tone of sadness.

"But, we can't just say good-bye, not this soon" frowned Ann.

"I can give you each a few moments alone to say your good-byes but that's the most I can do. If I do not seal the gateway, another form of darkness may enter this world or your world. Now that other humans and Digimon know of the two worlds, the threat of more destruction and chaos will always cover our worlds" spoke Fanglongmon.

"So how long do we get?" asked Brandi.

"Two hours, I am truly sorry about this Digidestined. If the circumstances were different, I could leave the gate open forever but I must think of the safety of the world's first. I'll send you and your partners to remote places that I found to be peaceful. You'll be brought back here when the time has expired. Are you ready?" asked Fanglongmon. The Digidestined gave a slow nod to show that they were ready. Fanglongmon's eyes began to glow, teleporting each Digidestined and their partner to a place that they may say their final good-byes.


	108. Ch 108 Farewell My Friends

_**Ch 108 Farewell My Friends**_

Ann and Hawkmon were sitting together atop a tree branch, looking at the vast forest around them. A gentle breeze would blow every now and then making this place seem all the more peaceful.

"I guess we have to say good-bye now huh?" asked Ann.

"Yeah, I wish we could have had more time. You've grown so much since the first time I met you." said Hawkmon.

"Really?" said Ann surprised.

"Yep, remember when you were always the damsel in distress. Everybody had to come to your rescue but then you learned to stop being the damsel and became a fighter just like everyone else… I… I…I don't want you to go" said Hawkmon bursting into tears and hugging Ann.

"I don't want to go either. You've become my best friend and I don't want to just leave you" said Ann as tears ran down her face. The pair continued to cry, with only the silence of the forest to listen to them.

--

Brandi and Salamon walked along the edge of a beautiful beach together. The soft sands and calm waves crashing against the shore line made this place seem perfect for the pair to say good-bye.

"Remember when we had to fight Shellmon in a place like this?" asked Brandi.

"Do I ever, it was me against another Digimon a hundred times my size. That was the same day you got your crest." said Salamon.

"And I got to see that really cool waterfall. Salamon, thanks for always protecting me. I used to think that I'd hold the group back because I never really liked fighting but you made me feel like I was contributing to the team." said Brandi, trying to fight back her tears.

"You have been contributing to the team. All I did was take out the big scary Digimon." said Salamon. The little Digimon leapt into Brandi's arms "I'm gonna miss you"

"And I'm gonna miss you" said Brandi finally letting her tears roll free.

"Can you sing me one more song?" asked Salamon.

"Sure, anything to see you happy before I leave" spoke Brandi, drying her tears

--

Andrew and Guilmon walked along a dirt road through an open field. Each breeze made the waves of grass sway back and forth smoothly.

"I'm so hungry. Think when we go home, we can get something to… oh yeah, we can't" frowned Guilmon.

"Your stomach always did over power your mind. Hey look, there's an apple tree up ahead" said Andrew pointing to a tree in the distance. The duo ran over to the tree and looked up at all the bright red apples attached to its branches. Andrew climbed up to the nearest apple and plucked it from its hanging spot then brought it back down to the ground. Guilmon cut the apple in two so that the pair could share the apple.

"Half for you and half for me" said Guilmon happily biting into his apple slice. Andrew just stared into his half and frowned. "What's a matter Andrew? Aren't you hungry?"

Andrew just dropped to his knees and hugged his partner, tears forming in his eyes "I'm gonna miss you buddy. Even your big appetite"

"Don't cry Andrew, we can always think of our adventures and remember each other" said Guilmon retuning the hug. "Just promise to always eat an extra portion of food for me"

"Ok… I'll remember to do that just for you" said Andrew.

--

Javi and Monodramon walked along the streets of one of the Digital Worlds many cities. Though the daylight hid most of the neon lights that would normally add a little extra flair, the city was still a beautiful place to walk though.

"Hey Javi, think you can play for me one last time before you go?" asked Monodramon.

"If you can find me a trumpet then sure" said Javi.

"Ok, wait right here" said Monodramon taking off running down the street. After a few moments, Monodramon came back running at full speed holding onto a silver trumpet. "Found one"

"I forgot how convenient the Digital World can be" laughed Javi taking the trumpet.

"Yeah, I don't think this place will ever be the same without you. I'm not gonna have anybody to make jokes with" frowned Monodramon

"I kind of like how no matter what enemy we faced, we could practically joke our way though the battle. Ok buddy, this one is for you" said Javi. Javi began to play a song he had memorized by heart. He made it half way through the song before stopping to let a few tears go down his face.

"Wow, talk about the blues" smiled Monodramon.

"Hey, you play what you feel" said Javi giving his partner one last hug then returning to his song.

--

Winona and Renamon stood together looking over a massive lake. The clear blue color and still movement of the water reminded the pair of the lake back in the real world.

"So…" began Winona.

"So…" repeated Renamon.

"I have something to say but I don't know how to say it" said Winona.

"It's ok, I know what you are trying to… whoa" said Renamon suddenly. Winona was now gripping onto her partner, hugging her tightly.

"I wanted to say that I love you and I'm gonna miss you. Every time I did something wrong, you were always there for me. You never left me even for a second" cried Winona.

"It was my please as your partner." said Renamon.

"You not just my partner, you're my friend" said Winona drying her tears.

"Then let me rephrase what I just said. It was my please as your friend" smiled Renamon. The two continued to look into the lake's waters, remembering all the time they had shared together.

--

Michelle and Gabumon found themselves strolling across a series of small hills looking over the ocean. The pair found a nice spot then stopped to sit down and enjoy each other's company.

"Isn't this like the same spot we first visited in the Digital World?" asked Michelle.

"Yeah, all we need is a Drimogemon to appear and start attacking us to complete the scene" laughed Gabumon.

"Yeah" sighed Michelle. "Gabumon, do you think I'm gonna be a good nurse one day?"

"You're not gonna be a good nurse, you're gonna be a terrific nurse one day. Nobody cares about the well being of others better than you" smiled Gabumon.

"I just can't help but be scared sometimes though. I just look at a patient and start panicking" frowned Michelle.

"But in the end you always recollect your bearings and do what needs to be done. Just be brave" said Gabumon.

"Ok, I'll try. Oh Gabumon… I don't want to leave you forever" said Michelle hugging Gabumon while crying.

"Don't cry Michelle, you'll get my fur all wet" spoke Gabumon returning the gesture.

--

"Hey TJ, want to see how strong I've gotten since we first met?" asked Veemon pointing to a pile of rocks. TJ and Veemon were walking along an open field covered with large stones. The area easily reminded them of their first trip into the Digital World.

"No thanks buddy, last time you did that, we ended up being chased by an oversized turtle" smiled TJ.

"Hey… I protected you from him, and saved you from falling into that gorge, and protected you while you dived into Leviamon's pool to save Cody, and when you fell into Belphemon's trap, and when you…" said Veemon listing past events.

"True but that first one was your fault" said TJ kneeling down in front of his partner "Please promise me that you'll stay out of trouble while I'm… gone" said TJ hugging his partner, a few tears forming.

"Are you crying TJ?" asked Veemon looking up at TJ.

"No, your claw is just crushing the same spot Tortomon hit me with his attack" said TJ holding back his tears.

"Oh, tough guys cry to you know" said Veemon.

"Come on; let's find a safe spot for you to show me how strong you've gotten" said TJ wiping his eyes.

"Right behind you buddy" smiled Veemon.

--

Kayla and Lopmon were standing in the middle of Toy Town. Though this place should have given a happy tone for the pair, the two were crying uncontrollably. The duo wouldn't let go of each other for anything in either of the worlds.

"Kayla stop crying, everything will be alright" said Lopmon.

"I'm crying cause you're crying" replied Kayla.

"Well I'm crying cause you're crying" said Lopmon.

"Well, if you're crying cause I'm crying cause you're crying… why are we crying?" said Kayla as she suddenly stopped her tears.

"That's a good question" spoke Lopmon ending her stream tears.

"Think we'll see each other again on day?" asked Kayla.

"Yep, one day. They can't keep that gate closed forever" smiled Lopmon.

"Then we'll see each other one day. Hopefully I'll be older and wiser by then" said Kayla.

"Yeah, and so will I" added Lopmon. The two began to walk down the streets of Toy Town together, happily looking forward to their futures.

--

"Stupid wind" growled Cody. Both he and Agumon were walking along a mountain trail, looking over a vast forest. A gust of wind would blow every now and send dirt into Cody's eyes making it seem that he was crying.

"It's ok buddy, even tough guys cry" said Agumon.

"I'm not crying" barked Cody.

"Are to" laughed Agumon.

"Are not" replied Cody. The two were staring down each other before starting to chuckle and return to their journey along the mountain path.

"We were defiantly made for each other" smiled Cody.

"Yep, not matter what, we always make it out together in the end." added Agumon.

"I wonder when we'll see each other again?" questioned Cody.

"I thought Fanglongmon said the gate would be closed forever" said Agumon confused.

"He did but you know what forever means don't you?" asked Cody.

"A really long time?" answered Agumon.

"It means for just a little while, we'll see each other one day." said Cody looking up into the blue sky above.

"Yeah, one day" smiled Agumon staring up into the sky along with Cody.

--

"The moon's beautiful isn't it?" asked Gaomon. Albert and Gaomon sat atop a mountain peak gazing into a full moon overhead. The pair spent most of their time talking about all the adventures they had together.

"Yeah, just like back at home. I've kept you up mostly every night with my nightmares that I forgot how much we'd gaze at the moon together until we fell back asleep. You probably hated me for that huh?" said Albert.

"I never hated you for keeping me up. I kinda liked it, we got to spent even more time together because of that." smiled Gaomon.

"So you never once wished for a partner better than me? One that wasn't as weak?" asked Albert.

"Nope, never and don't you let anyone fool you into thinking that you're weak. You're strong, so strong that only you could master the ability of seeing through darkness." assured Gaomon.

"I can still remember the promise you made me back in the beginning to never leave me… why does it all have to end?" said Albert hugging his partner and crying.

"Hey now, where's that smile I always love to see?" asked Gaomon sympathetically.

"I can't smile knowing that you won't be standing by my side ever again. I don't want you to go" cried Albert.

"Don't worry; we'll see each other again one day. Until then though…" began Gaomon taking off his headband and tying it around Albert's forehead. Albert could now finally see the yellow colored scar hidden beneath Gaomon's head band "… I want you to have this to remember me by but remember, I'll want it back one day"

"One day… and here, wear this for protection" said Albert taking off a gold chain hanging around his neck and then placing it around Gaomon's neck "My mom gave it to me before she died saying that it would be protect me from harm. Hopefully it'll protect you like it did for me"

"You sure you want to give me this?" asked Gaomon.

"Not give you, lend to you. I'm gonna come back for it one day" smiled Albert.

"There's that smile" laughed Gaomon.

--

All the Digidestined appeared back atop the golden platform to find Fanglongmon, Wizardmon, Leomon, and GranLocomon waiting for them. A newly designed Destiny Gate stood ready to be opened on one edge of the platform. The gateway had all the crest symbols going along the outer arch way of the gate. The doors of the gate now bore depictions of the Digimon sovereigns on its surface.

"I decided to redesign the Destiny Gate. Oh I also took the liberty of fixing you're home and erasing the memories of the Digimon invasion from every human's minds. When you return, everything will seem normal" smiled Fanglongmon "Are you children ready to go back home?"

"Not really" sighed Javi.

"Does the gate really have to be sealed forever?" asked Ann.

"I must be so children, though we are grateful for everything you've done to help us, this gateway must be sealed to prevent any more beings with blacked hearts to invade the worlds" said Leomon "Kids, thank you for all you've done"

"It was our pleasure" bowed Brandi.

"Would be nice if we could stay together with our partners forever" said Michelle.

"And ever and ever and ever…" laughed Kayla.

"Don't worry kids, you have all them great memories to remind you of this place" spoke GranLocomon.

"That'll have to do then" said Winona.

"The second something smells fishy around here, you better come get us" added TJ.

"We'll come running back to help" smiled Andrew.

"Don't worry we will. I've already began to make a book recounting all your adventures. I don't think we can say this enough kids but, thank you so much for saving our world time and time again" said Wizardmon.

"It was fun and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we wouldn't have traded it for the world" spoke Cody.

"So I guess now it's time to say goodbye" said Albert.

"I do believe that time has come" nodded Fanglongmon as his eyes began to glow. The doors on the Destiny Gate began to open giving off a bright while light.

"Good bye everyone" said Hawkmon.

"Good luck with school and everything" added Salamon.

"Eat lots and stay healthy" spoke Guilmon.

"Always remember to laugh" smiled Monodramon.

"Be safe" said Renamon.

"Believe in yourselves" continued Gabumon.

"Don't let anybody push you around" said Veemon.

"And don't worry, we'll see each other again one day" smiled Lopmon/

"But until then, be ready cause we might call you back soon" spoke Agumon.

"And most importantly, always remember everything that you've learned since you first came to our world" finished Gaomon.

The Digidestined walked through the gateway together then stopped to look back at their partners. The doors began to shut slowly giving the Digidestined a few more moments to see their partners. Once the doors completely closed, the team found themselves standing by the lake side. They had stood same way they had always stood by the lake except now their Digimon partners were gone. After gazing into the lakes calm waters, the team began to leave one by one, heading for their own homes until only TJ, Albert, Cody, and Kayla remained.

"So that's it huh?" said Kayla, a few tears running down her face.

"Nope" said Cody.

"I have the feeling that we'll see our partners again someday. It might not be today or tomorrow or anytime soon but one day we will" assured Albert.

"And you can bet that when that day comes, we'll all be running back to the Digital World for even more adventures" added TJ.

"Let's head home sis, mom and dad have to be worried sick by now" smiled Cody.

"Can I have a piggy back ride?" asked Kayla playfully.

"Sure sis, anything for you" smiled Cody letting his sister climb onto his back. The four of them began to head back to their homes against the setting sun. For now, one chapter of their lives had come to an end but when one chapter ends… another is ready to begin.

_**The End**_


	109. Author’s Note

_**Author's Note**_

First let me say thanks to all my readers and reviewers. I didn't know that I'd have a lot of people like this story so much. I cannot say how happy I am to finish my first story on this site and at 108 chapters to boot. This is one thing I'm going to miss after all the work I put into it. One question I've been getting a lot is if I'm gonna do a sequel to this story and to that I must say the answer lies with you. I have come up with a few ideas for one but I'd like to hear what you all have to say about it or what suggestions you have for it. You can PM me or leave your suggestions in a review, I really don't mind which one you chose. I did have to change one thing back in the first chapters to make a possible sequel because I didn't want the first Digidestined team to be too old for a possible sequel. Keep in mind I still have another Digimon story to work on along with a Pokémon story. I might even add another story but if you all really want to see a sequel to Digimon Heroes let me know. So thanks again to all my reviews especially those who left me constant reviews and critiques. Hope to hear from you all in the future.


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